I’m curious and creative but I sometimes lack courage. To have all three is my ultimate goal. I feel like I could rule the world then, or at least have a far more interesting interior design concept for my home. This year my goal has been to develop more courage. Take more risks. I’m reading a book now called The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and it’s really helping me. Stop over-thinking and just jump.

On the topic of creativity and curiosity, of both I have in extremely high amounts, I still miss design fairs where I regularly worked as a moderator, keynote speaker, panel expert, tour guide, stand designer, trend researcher, and reporter. These fairs gave me intense waves of energy - I’d almost describe it as some sort of kinetic energy. I would “work” at these fairs but they transferred so much energy to me in return that I would leave with far more than when I started - I’d move at a faster speed emotionally, mentally, even physically. My creativity was off the charts after a fair. I even felt more courage, which was something I think I valued the most. The sheer magnitude of beautifully designed objects and furnishings, lighting, rooms, tile, rugs… It was also absolutely mind-blowing to be totally immersed in design on such a broad scale. Interacting with products, meeting designers, seeing familiar faces again - particularly my colleagues - other bloggers, journalists, and authors who live and breathe interiors, was satisfying in ways that online conversations, DMs, and Zoom calls can never replicate or replace.

For the past year, I’ve had lots of press releases hit my inbox. Most of them feel really flat. The industry as a whole is a bit uninspired and I worry about this. Not much is really catching my eye lately. I’m waiting to see what 2022 brings because 2021 doesn’t look very hopeful in the way of fantastically fresh presentations, collections, designs, concepts… It’s all a little, well, meh. But can you blame anyone for this? I mean, we’re in a pandemic still, parts of the world are experiencing Corona case overload so terribly (such as India), and also in India, there’s a lot of production of goods that take place - rugs and textiles, for instance. Things have slowed down. Designers seem to be in a period of incubation. I imagine the post-Corona design scene will be absolutely fantastic. The moment when designers feel like they can breathe again (pun intended), they really will. They’ll breathe new life into everything and I can imagine a spectacular period of innovation and even smarter, more conscientious design, on the horizon. I’m waiting.

Today, I felt a tinge of inspiration. A flickering light. A press release arrived showing a newly designed chair for GUBI called the Violin Chair, by Danish-Italian architects Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi, also known as GamFratesi. This new understated half-arm dining chair is contemporary and light, but also comfortable with superior craftsmanship, and well, it was just nice to see. That’s really it. I can’t elaborate too much about it without sounding extremely fake, but to me - it’s a lovely chair and it made me feel for a moment like I was back at a fair and enjoying something new - a gentle tingle up my spine.

You can choose the chair with an upholstered seat and slender steam-bent oiled walnut or oiled oak backrest, or in a second edition where both the seat and backrest are upholstered (I would choose this option in a creamy white Bouclé). That is my favorite version since I often spend hours at my dining room table when I entertain so I place a huge emphasis on seating being exceptionally well-made and comfortable. I’m on the hunt for new dining chairs so I’ve short-listed these beauties.

Have a most lovely day, friends. It’s raining in gray and soggy Hannover today, but the candles are burning bright in my home and the music is softly humming in the background (today it’s Yann Tierson), so I’m managing and trying desperately to stay inspired after 13 months of lockdown. Hope you are doing well too.

Love,

Holly

(Photos: Gubi)