Menu Archives - Style&Minimalism

Create A City Oasis

With our gardens, balconies and window sills having become so much more important to us lately (whilst we are asked to stay home), I thought I’d share some of my favourite designs to help you spruce them up. I’ve tried to consider products that work for every situation and give suggestions for different size spaces – I appreciate that not everyone who lives in a big city has a private outdoor space. Try to make the most of what you do have and be creative.

If you have the space (and make the most of it) it can feel like you have an extra room, or two. If you have a big family, it can make a small house feel so much larger and give you all an area to spend time alone. Just having a small area to sit, surrounded by plants can be transformative to your health and well being. If you’re able to get in the sun, you’ll also benefit from the vitamin D your body produces in response to its rays.

Whatever size space you have there’s always something you can do to make it feel special; from growing herbs in beautiful pots on a bright window sill (to give your summer salads a boost), to creating an inviting dining area in the garden (to sit and enjoy a barbecue on warm summer evenings). It’s your space so choose what makes you happy.

Reading

Whenever I can, I like to read outside. I’m less distracted by the chores that need doing in the house and can lose myself for at least half an hour. It’s a lovely form of meditation that’s transformed by a comfy chair and a cosy blanket on chillier days.

You don’t need a lot of space, just enough to squeeze in a chair, a small table to rest your morning coffee on or even just a tray on the ground. What’s most important is that it offers you the chance to sit and relax.

Below you’ll find some of my favourite outdoor chairs, as well as a few stools and accessories that will offer you some added comfort.

**ferm LIVING** Desert Lounge Chair & Plant Box

**Skagerak** Tradition Corner Module & Table

**Skagerak** Virkelyst 3-Seater with Cushions in Sea Blue Stripes

Dining

For some reason eating outside always feels more exciting than indoors. Perhaps it’s the change of scene, warm air, and the chance to slow down and enjoy your food. There’s no rush and little distraction; except for maybe some good company.

I love the relaxed vibe of eating al fresco, piling the table high with sharing plates of fish, meats and salads. It’s a great excuse for mixing up a fresh pitcher of your favourite cocktail and clinking glasses until well after the sun has set. With the right lighting, a log burner and a few blankets there’s no need to go inside when the temperature and light drop.

Whether you’re perched on a small balcony or spread across a large terrace, I have found some beautiful designs for your outdoor dining area. All are incredibly well made, built to last but also look good. I’ve included a few accessories that will make serving a spectacle in itself.

**Skagerak** Lilium Lounge Chair & Table

**Muuto** Linear Steel Table & Bench in Off-White

**Skagerak** Nordic Bowl & Plate and Fulla Salad Servers

**Skagerak** Hammer Decanter & Cutter Bench

**MENU** LAB Bottle Grinder & Plinth Table

**HAY** Palissade Dining Bench & Chair in Anthracite

Growing & Gardening

There’s little more satisfying than eating something you’ve grown and nurtured from seed; without question, it tastes better. In my own garden, I began with herbs, these are the easiest to grow and always useful. I cook with them daily and often sip on a mint tea at the end of day.

Several pots in different sizes, clustered together look great sprouting with bright green basil, pale sage, dense thyme and sprigs of fragrant rosemary. You can use them in your cooking, fresh throughout the summer and if dried they can be used long after the plants have lost all their leaves. Fruit and vegetables take a lot of care and attention but, if you enjoy the process, will reward you in more ways than by simply providing you with something to eat. They can be grown in some highly creative ways, make use of balcony boxes if you have a small space.

For the more ambitious among you, a propagator or greenhouse might be necessary to kick things off. I’ve found some elegant options for various size spaces, that you won’t mind showing off.

If you’re happier getting your herbs, fruits and vegetables delivered to your door then why not surround yourself with fresh green foliage and flowers in your favourite shades to create a little haven.

**Skagerak** Spira Green House & Growth Table

**Kent & Stowe** Transplanting Trowel via **ARKET**

**Skagerak** Edge Indoor Pots in Light Grey

**HAY** Plant Pot with Saucer in XL, Black

For organic seeds you could try Vital Seeds or Tamar Organics.

Books

*Grow Fruit & Vegetables In Pots: Planting Advice & Recipes From Great Dixter* (Phaidon)

*House of Plants: Living with succulents, air plants & cacti* (Frances Lincoln)

All that’s left to say now is, enjoy the weather and stay safe, stay home.

All images are courtesy of the brands featured.

A Calming Minimal Home Workspace

A while back I started gathering inspiration for a Scandinavian-inspired home office, you might remember my post. With Isabelle on the way, I had to rethink the location, moving it from our back bedroom to a small alcove in our open-plan living/dining room. The style is unchanged, it’s still very minimal and Scandinavian-inspired, I just had a much smaller space to work with.

Finding a suitable desk was my first, essential task; it needed to be less than 1m wide so that it would fit within the alcove of our living area that I had designated. I found this quite limiting with the style I had in mind and I had to be a bit more creative, opting for a console table rather than a desk in the end. My favourite design for quite some time has been the Skagerak Georg Desk (named after the son of its designer, Chris Liljenberg Halstrøm). I love its rounded edges and soft oak finish. Unfortunately, it was too wide and too deep for the space, so I chose the Skagerak Georg Console – a smaller version of the desk that comes without a drawer. It’s a lovely solid oak table made with FSC-certified wood. It’s just deep enough for my laptop and a few essentials. If you prefer a paler look you could try their Cura Oil in White, which preserves the wood whilst giving it a lighter, whiter finish.

For years I’ve had issues with my neck, shoulders and back. Slumping over computers is nothing new to me and for too long my posture was appalling. I’d get so caught up in what I was doing that I didn’t notice how close I was getting to the screen or how locked up my shoulder was getting. A good chair has always made a world of difference to how I sit at a desk and how comfortable I am. It’s not always been easy as a freelancer to make a fuss over a desk set-ups but since working from home it’s down to me to create a set-up that works in terms of comfort and inspiration.

I wanted a chair with armrests that would still slide neatly under my desk. I wanted a design that’s simple, elegant and minimal but it also had to function. I tested out a few for comfort before deciding on the MENU Harbour Chair. MENU are one of my all time favourite brands, they work with some incredible designers, including Norm Architects who are the designers behind the Harbour Chair. It was originally created for MENU Space, MENU’s new creative destination in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn Harbour. The injection moulded, ergonomic shell is upholstered in a Kvadrat wool-mix fabric called Remix 2, in a soft beige colour-way known as 223 and is lined with soft foam for added comfort. The gently tapered legs and base are made of natural oak (which coordinate perfectly with my desk).

Being such a small desk it would be easy for it to get covered up quite quickly so I’ve tried to keep to my bare essentials. A statement lamp (also from MENU) and my laptop take up most of the space. In addition there are just a few small bits: my notebook (an old one from Bamford), a pen, candle, plant, timer, hand-cream, coaster, clips and a few inspirational postcards I’ve collected over the last year.

How To Stay Focused When Working From Home

I’ve been working from home for quite a while, so I feel pretty qualified to share some tips on how I manage to stay focused and get my work done.

Get up, shower, get dressed and do your hair and make-up as if you are leaving home. You don’t need to be meeting-ready but just enough to feel ready for the day.
Before you sit down get any distracting household chores out of the way; put the washing on, wash-up, empty the dishwasher and have a quick general tidy-up.
Working from your dining room table is okay but I would recommend having a dedicated space in your home. It helps to have everything ready to go where you left off the day before. You won’t waste time setting things up or clearing them away each day. It also helps put you in the right frame of mind to work.
Make yourself a cup of tea, coffee or preferred drink before you sit down.
Make a list of jobs for the day; be realistic about what you can get through (save less urgent jobs for another day). There are two ways I approach my list, depending on my mood. If I’m feeling productive I’ll tackle the most important job first; if not, I’ll tackle a few small easy jobs to get things moving.

Minimal Hooks For The Home

We’ve been on a mission to get the house as finished and baby-friendly as possible over the last few months, me being pregnant was the kick up the backside we both needed. One area of the house that needed some attention was our bathroom. The paint had started to flake, we still didn’t have a bath and it just felt a bit unloved even though we’d invested so much in it when we first moved in. We’ve since had the walls micro-cemented and a stunning roll-top bath from C.P. Hart has been installed. It’s now need to think about the smaller details, like hooks and shelves. I’m currently looking for the perfect minimal hooks to hang our towels on. There are so many great designs out there, so I’ve rounded up a selection of my favourites.

1. **HEM** Punched Metal Hook Large in Grey by Julien Renault | 2. **Skagerak** Regn Hook Large | 3. **Utology** Wooden Wall Hook in Ash & Scorched Black Wood | 4. **Muuto** The Dots in Black by Lars Tornøe | 5. **HAY** Volet Hooks in Black | 6. **HAY** Hook in Natural Ash | 7. **Skagerak** Reflect Hook Double | 8. **MENU** Knobs in Black | 9. **HAY** Iso Hook in Light Grey | 10. **MENU** Afteroom Coat Hanger in Small | 11. **ferm LIVING** Hook in Brass in Small | 12. **ferm LIVING** Hook in Brass in Large | 13. **ferm LIVING** Hook in Black Brass in Large | 14. **HEM** Peg Hook in Varnished Natural Ash by Jonah Takagi

Inside Menu’s London Show Flat

Well Watering Can by Anderssen & Voll | Troll Vase Smoke by Anderssen & Voll

Septembre Coffee Table, Marble by Theresa Arns | Échasse Bowl by Theresa Arns

Globe Bulb | Socket Occasional Lamp by Norm Architects

No No Table by Norm Architects & Note Design Studio

Godot Sofa by Iskos Berlin | Zet Shelves, Black-Black by Kaschkasch

Tailor Sofa by Rui Alves | Wire Base by Norm Architects | Wire Pot by Norm Architects

Conic Table Lamp by Thomas Bentzen | Plinth, Cubic by Norm Architects

How stunning is the MENU Show Flat in London? I had a walk around it last month and was tempted to cancel the rest of my day just so I could hang out in this beautiful space, surrounded by some of my favourite contemporary designs. I was having such a good time chatting to Line (MENU’s PR Manager), Tim Rundle (designer of the TR Bulb) and MENU resident, Casper. Tim and I got into a rather geeky chat about materials and how each of us has been influenced by them in our work life. It was only because the other two meetings I had planned for the rest of the day were also exciting ones that I thanked the team and headed off.

If you’ve got this far and are wondering who MENU actually are, you may have spotted their amazing designs in some of my Interiors posts. They’re a Danish design brand that collaborate with some incredibly talented people – including Norm Architects, who I featured in my last Interiors post . Their products are visually minimal whilst being highly functional and very beautiful. They often have a timeless quality to them, you could easily mistake a piece for something made last century but equally yesterday. This is one of the reasons I think they’re so great at what they do and who they choose to work with. I feel you could buy a piece of furniture from them and have it in your home for a decade without anyone pinpointing when it exactly it was made.

Scandinavian Home Office Essentials

I’m still working on plans for my home office, which is more likely going to be a home office corner rather than a whole room but I’m happy with that. I’ve been looking at some of my favourite interior design brands and have come up with this wish list of products for my perfect Scandinavian home office. You can see the inspiration for these pieces here in this post which I shared a couple of weeks ago. My idea is to create a space with just enough storage to keep things neat and tidy but not so much that it will encourage me to keep more than I need. I’d like it to feel clean and calm so I can stay focused, as I’m easily distracted by clutter and always feel the need to clear things away before I can begin on a piece of work.

I always like to have artwork around me and this print I’ve selected by Tom Shaw has this beautiful light and earthy moodiness, it’s the sort of photograph I can escape into in moments of chaos. I also like to have flowers or foliage on my desk, it’s another way to bring nature inside and has a calming effect on me. I recently discovered Flowerbx in London, they have a really nice selection of flowers and foliage (including eucalyptus) that can be delivered to your door.

Comfort is majorly important to me and is the reason I selected this particular chair by HAY. I’ve been testing out my favourite designs whenever I’ve had the opportunity over the last few months and this one came out on top for me. I haven’t managed to find it online but it is available in COS’s Kensington High Street store (sorry if you’re not based in London, it may be worth contacting HAY to find your local stockist).

I’ve been obsessed with this Skagerak desk for ages and ages! It’s called the Georg, named after designer Chris Liljenberg Halstrøm’s son. There are more pieces in the Georg series, all equally as beautiful in design, with a softness to each of them, thanks to their smooth rounded edges. The desk is a fairly standard size but if you’re looking for something slightly smaller, the Console Table is a little narrower and shallower.

New Season Bedroom Accessories

Spring is only a few weeks away and I’m looking forward to the longer days; for me more daylight means more shooting time and not worrying if I’ve missed the only good light of the day. As we’re coming out of winter I feel like it’s a good time to freshen things up in the house.

I’ve been thinking more and more about how we use our bedroom and the kind of mood I want to inspire. Above all else it’s where we sleep so the bed, bed linen, pillows and duvet need to work hard. I think textiles are key when it comes to creating a comfortable and relaxed space. The White Company are one of my favourite brands for bed linen, the quality is exceptional and although not cheap I think their products are good value. I’ve been on the lookout for a great quilt for a little while and their new Bourton Collection has a gorgeous grey one that has matching cushion covers. It’s grey herringbone on one side and a stripe chambray on the other, so when I fancy a change I can flip it over.

I’m starting to experiment with lighting, we have downlights in most rooms but I think we’re missing a trick and could do with a few lamps here and there. I’ve seen a lot of great designs out there that don’t seem too expensive, especially for something that makes such a big difference to the mood of a room. Scandinavian designers are particularly good with lighting; maybe as daylight (or lack of it) has such a big impact on them. MENU and ferm LIVING are two brilliant Danish brands that not only make great lamps but lots other great homeware products, too. I’ve picked out a couple of my favourites above.

Like many of my Instagram buddies I’ve become quite obsessed with Beni Ourain rugs. They’re traditional Moroccan rugs woven from undyed natural wool by the Beni Ourain people from the Rif Mountains. Modernist architects, Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright were also known to like them. Like those guys, I’m a fan of order but I love the imperfect nature of their patterns. The thick pile is perfect for rubbing your toes in as you get out of bed. With their current popularity there are so many great Beni Ourain style rugs available online, I particularly love this one from West Elm. It’s not a traditional Moroccan rug but was made in New Delhi as part of the Craftmark initiative, “which helps denote genuine Indian handicrafts, develop sector-wide minimum standards and norms for labeling a product as a handicrafts product“. If you’re looking for a genuine Moroccan rug, India May Home have some coming soon.

One of the other things I like to do in bed is read a good book. I read a lot, I have a book on the go constantly. Usually I buy three or four at a time which I keep beside the bed. I’m planning to put up a new shelf in our bedroom to keep them on so I can keep my bedside table clear. I’m undecided about the style and size of the shelf at the moment as I’ve yet to decide where to hang it but I love the simplicity of this one by Frama. And being a book lover, the recent discovery of Folio Society has got me all excited, their beautifully bound editions are keepers.