From the roof terrace of Cloud House, architect Peter Morris' new north London home, it is easy to see what inspired the project's name. A scalloped top edge painted in soft pink makes sitting on a lounger here feel like you are peeking at the Gospel Oak skyline through fluffy clouds of sweet candy floss.

The façade plays a part in this illusion too. Set on a quiet road off the southern edge of Hampstead Heath, on a little road that has everything from a Grade II-listed French school to an old church, Victorian homes and some modestly scaled new housing blocks, Cloud House stands out, for sure, cutting a distinct figure through its whimsical colour and shape.

It also somehow weirdly blends in. Its volumes follow the massing and rooflines of its adjacent buildings, and its arches echo the shapes found on the Grade I-listed St Martin's Church across the street. Were it not for its uncompromising soft pink and green hues, this project might have been an entirely different proposition.

Step inside Cloud House by Peter Morris

Cloud House's architect designed it as a showcase – a true expression of his own mood, vision and style. It is a very personal project, and one tackled with a lot of care precisely because of that. The scheme, in fact, comprises two semi-detached homes – one for his own family (he lives there with his partner Emily Kennedy, a producer) and the other belonging to clients who are about to start moving in.

The site contained an existing Victorian property, where the family previously lived, but which was getting increasingly worn and volatile – damp rising and urgent fixes needed. Morris decided to apply for it to be replaced, and after working with Camden Council over a few years, his permission was granted, and he embarked on Cloud House's design journey, which took ten years to complete.

The design changed significantly along the way, but only for the better, Morris explains – and it maintained its distinctive flair and individuality throughout the long-drawn process. 'The council saw my personal connection as a positive thing; they said my personality comes through with this house,' Morris recalls, wearing bright blue overalls and bold, round, black-rimmed glasses.

The fact that the street on this corner of Gospel Oak consists of a large blend of styles, from period to contemporary, and uses, including residential, educational and religious, helped. Cloud House contributes to an established diversity here. 'My work is typically more reserved than this. I might start colourful, but things get toned down quite a lot in the end,' he says. 'Here, I wanted to follow through with my own home.'

The long planning and construction process complicated things financially, but Morris was keen to remain true to his original vision. Some elements might have been adjusted, but important features – such as the arches and the colours – remained strong. Kind, crowdsourced help from the community ensured the painting and decorating finished on time.

What made things easier is that the house, a fairly conventional brick and concrete construction, is now clad with light polystyrene stone, a material that, Morris explains, is cost-effective but also highly functional, adding the building's thermal mass and insulation, while being easy to mould, lightweight and waterproof (it's been treated with rough render on top, making it near-indistinguishable from the typical peers).

Inside, the home spans three levels. A generous ground floor contains living spaces and Morris's home office. Bedrooms and bathrooms occupy the two upstairs floors, while a glass skylight at the top, right above the stairwell, opens to the roof terrace, a little sun trap that serves as the home's main outdoor space (a small courtyard downstairs is another open area – Morris plans to plant a herb garden here).

Bold colours, stripes and quirky details abound – just as you would expect, stepping inside a home that looks like a pink fairytale from the street. Painted arches on walls blend visually with arch-shaped doors, and round, ball-shaped plaster mouldings are reminiscent of the ones in Sir John Soane's Museum. Everything is decorated in Morris and Kennedy's personal style – 'It's the museum of Peter and Emily,' he smiles. No doubt, a good measure of success – a home truly reflecting its owners' spirit to the smallest detail.

Morris hopes for word to spread and more work in the Cloud House realm to come through for him, where he can let his imagination run wild and make someone else's dreams a reality too. 'The Cloud House is a colourful, joyful place, but it is also a statement about what residential architecture can be,' he says.

petermorrisarchitects.com

All photos by Will Pryce

Sixty-one artists have created original work inspired by a Paul McCartney lyric in aid of War Child.

For the third edition of Sound & Vision – which began as a similar project, sparked by the David Bowie lyric back in 2024 – artists including Genieve Figgis, Alvaro Barrington, Joshua Donkor and Sanya Kantarovsky have created new work in response to the ‘Band on the Run’ lyric, 'Well the rain exploded with a mighty crash as we fell into the sun'.

The pieces will be auctioned on 27 October 2026 to raise money for children affected by war worldwide.

The evocative lyric was selected by McCartney, who has been a supporter of War Child since he took part in The Help Album alongside Blur, Radiohead and Oasis, back in 1995.

Gemma Peppe, curator of Sound & Vision and founder of AOAP Projects, says: 'The artists from the third edition of Sound & Vision have had a lot of fun with Paul McCartney’s lyric, "Well the rain exploded with a mighty crash...”. Every artist has taken great care to produce a piece worthy of this year’s legendary musical artists, resulting in a body of fabulous artwork that will no doubt raise a lot of money for War Child and the important work they do.'

SOUND & VISION 2026 – FULL ARTIST LIST

Abigail McGinley

Aleah Chapin

Alex Hanna

Alexandra Beteeva

Alice Kettle

Alvaro Barrington

Anaja Hvastija Gaia

Andrew Maughan

Andrew Torr

Anna Pakosz

Anne Rothenstien

Carl Randall

Charlie Billingham

Chloe Barnes

Christina Niederberger

Colin Murphey

David Harrison

David Rhys Jones

David Hamilton

Diana Copperwhite

Elizabeth Dimitroff

Elizabeth Power

Ellie Cotton

Emma Tod

Fletcher Sibthorp

Genieve Figgis

George Underwood

Georgie Huxley

Gill Rocca

Grace Lee

Graham Fink

Heidrun Rathgeb

Helena Minginowicz

Holly Rowett

Jenni Hiltunen

Joseph Black

Joshua Donker

Marcelle Hanselaar

Marcus Cope

Matt Bollinger

Matthew Clifton

Max Renneisen

Megan Rea

Mercedes Lucy

Nana Wolke

Natalie Wadlington

Nick Grindrod

Peter Messer

PJ Houghton

Ralf Kokke

Salvatore Fiorello

Sanya Kantarovski

Sophie Ruigrok

Sunkyung Baek

Tahnee Lonsdale

Victoria Cantons

Xingxin Hu

Xu Yang

Zoe Hawk

The online auction takes place from Tuesday 27 October to Thursday 12 November 2026, closing 3pm BST (10am EST).

The accompanying exhibition is at Iconic Images Gallery, Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November 2026

The 91st Mondial de l'Auto de Paris is currently underway at the city’s Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in the south of the city. After the seismic shock of the pandemic, which put paid to the annual motor show circus, the industry cut back on the razzmatazz and ushered in few fallow years on the show circuit as everyone regained their strength (read our reviews of the 2022 and 2024 events). Now showmanship is back and, for the 2026 event (12-18 October), Paris is a stage for a new generation of stars that want to take back the glory days of European industry domination.

In this analogy, the Chinese auto industry is waiting patiently in the wings to seize on any missed cues. It’s a strategy that has served the country’s massed ranks of new brands well as they hoover up the strategic gaps in Euro offerings with every conceivable size of crossover and SUV, all competitively priced and excessively optioned so as make them extremely good value for money.

What China does not have – yet – is heritage. The following were among those new and newish Chinese brands present at Paris 2026; Aito, Avatr, BYD, Changan, Chery, Omoda, Jaecoo, Deepal, Denza, Forthing, Foton, GAC, Geely, Leapmotor, Li Auto, Maxus, Nevo, Xpeng and Zeekr. Into that tangled word salad of brands, allegiances, sub-brands, partnerships and launches you can now add a few more ingredients, including 212 and Linktour, making themselves known for the very first time.

You might be familiar with some of the above – you might even drive one (the Jaecoo 7 is currently the UK’s best-selling car), but even hardened auto journalists are finding it tricky to keep track of the number of new models, many of which cluster around the popular C-segment with not much in the way of design differentiation and memorable naming conventions (although admittedly the Geely Monjaro made its debut at the show – yes, it genuinely does appear to be named after a GLP-1). There was also the Leapmotor B03, the Omoda 4, Geely E2 and upmarket Project KO11.

For the European makers, the threat posed by these imports has created conglomerates that seek strength and economic efficiency through unity. The VW Group (Volkswagen, Škoda, Seat, Cupra, Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ducati and Porsche), Groupe Renault (Renault, Alpine and Dacia) and Stellantis (Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, RAM, and Vauxhall) all share platforms and components across their respective brands. To set them apart, what’s needed is more brand differentiation.

Hence the big news stories at this year’s show. Stellantis’ simultaneous unveiling of six new concept cars is designed to put clearer water between each brand, drawing on their respective heritages, cultural memories and inherent strengths. Peugeot, DS Automobiles, Opel, Fiat, Citroën and Alfa Romeo all had their time in the spotlight, with the latter three offering up genuine stars in the shape of the Multiplay, 2CV Concept and Cuerorosso Concept.

Aside from its A2, Audi didn’t offer much in the way of new product, whilst VW debuted the ID Tiguan, a competent but slightly charmless electric SUV. Ultra compacts were also in evidence, ranging from France’s quirky Aixam to new offerings from China, including the tiny Pix Moving, presented alongside its autonomous Robobus counterpart, and the tiny electric Linktour Alumi and retro-styled EZI EM-06; the latter both came with charming if impractical chunky off-road-inspired details like roof racks. Most significant of all was the Smart #2, the revitalised brand’s long-awaited return to a ultra-compact two-seater, this time fully electric.

Another Chinese model making its debut was Beijing Automobile Works’ 212, which offered up a selection of distinctly Land Rover-flavoured off-roaders (with a hint of Toyota stirred into the pot) like the T01 Changfeng. We especially liked the company’s two-storey camping tent; it joined the diminutive Kilow Camping and a pop-top version of the Forthing V9 to create a mini-trend of compact camper vehicles. Also notable was the French debut of Californian manufacturer Lucid, hoping to make a splash in Europe with its luxury EVs.

Read on to discover our highlights of the 2026 show.

Citroën

A surprise showing on the first day of the event, the Citroën 2CV Fourgonnette is the commercial companion to the extremely well-received 2CV Concept. Back in the day, the original 2CV wasn’t just a family car, it was the vehicle of choice for French business big and small. From La Poste to the local boulangerie, the box-backed 2CV van was everywhere.

Citroën is hoping that the new generation 2CV Fourgonnette will do similar business. Bringing the admirable simplicity of the passenger car concept to a small van, the focus here is on maximising load space and practicality, whilst not losing sight of the character that will give this tiny van its competitive edge – a serve as a lovable mobile advert for whichever businesses chose to adopt it.

Citroën.co.uk, @CitroënFrance

Peugeot

An almost inevitable riposte to the R5 Turbo 3E, Peugeot also revealed the E-T16 Concept alongside the RCZ Vision. This muscular addition to the E-208 range is to the electric hatchback what the original T16 was to the Peugeot 205, a radically remastered race and rally machine that bears only a passing resemblance to its sibling.

The clamshell bodywork – where the entire rear-end of the car lifts up – is all present and correct (although obviously less relevant to an EV), while power comes from three electric motors delivering over 800hp. Production is not yet confirmed, but it would be strictly limited edition and very expensive should the E-T16 make it to showrooms.

Peugeot.fr, @Peugeot

Alpine

Whilst the forthcoming Alpine A110 was present only as an abstracted blue sculpture (the production car will be revealed at the end of 2027), Alpine offered up one of the true show stars in the shape of the Alpine A310 Concept. Another exercise in retro design, this two-seater sports car is a contemporary update of the 1971 original.

The modern version doesn’t stray too far from the proportions and details of the striking four-seater 1970s version, one of the most futuristic production cars of the era (and which still looked good when it ceased production, upgraded and enhanced, in 1984). If it goes into production, the new A310 will be an electric supercar that uses the same Alpine Performance Platform (APP) as the next-gen A110 but would only be built in very limited numbers.

Alpine-Cars.co.uk, @AlpineCars

Renault

While Renault subsidiary Dacia showed off its new low-cost Twingo-based Dacia Spring, the parent company is still basking in the success of the R4, R5 and now the new Renault Twingo, all-electric upgrades that have kept the spirit of the originals without compromising modern requirements for size, safety, speed and sophistication. To keep this streak of heritage-driven success alive, Renault chose Paris to reveal the new E-Space concept.

This is the company’s fresh take on the MPV, the category is effectively created back in 1984 with the original mono-box designed Espace. Before SUVs squashed the family car market into high-riding homogeneity, the MPV was the machine of choice for large households. By the time the model had reached its fifth generation a decade ago, the Espace had lost much of its character and individuality, becoming little more than another high-riding crossover.

The E-Space could herald a new beginning. With a very silhouette and packaging proposition to the 1984 car, with a sharp nose and long roofline, the concept is clearly going for maximum interior space. Coach doors – always favoured by concept designers as a better way of showcasing an interior – reveal a red-trimmed cabin with sliding seats. A new Espace might not have the immediate kudos of a compact city car like the Twingo, but with Chinese and South Korean rivals lining up to compete, it could still be a runner.

Also on the stand was the Renault 8 Gordini, a conceptualised reimagining of the cultish Renault 8 R1134 Gordini from 1964. Taking the boxy form of the original R8 plus, with racing blue and striped bodywork, it’s unlikely to go into any form of production, especially with the ongoing focus on Alpine.

Dacia.co.uk, @Dacia_UK, Renault.fr, @Renault_France

Audi

Revealed last month, the A2 E-tron has its global public debut in Paris. Despite its impressive range and the usual Audi attention to detail, the new A2 feels slightly overshadowed by the bolder heritage-infused steps being taken by its rivals. The first A2 (1999 to 2005) still has a strong cult following; has the modern iteration missed a trick by not taking more direct inspiration?

Audi.co.uk, @Audi

Fiat

Alongside the excellent Multiplay Concept, Fiat also showed off its mid-sized Grizzy and Grizzly Fastback, two SUVs that up the brand’s scale without too much dilution of its character. For lovers of super-small cars, the Fiat Multiplina also featured on its stand, a colourful reimagining of the modern Italian piazza.

Fiat.com, @Fiat

Hyundai

Hyundai gave the world its first look at the new Bayon and Tucson, B- and C-segment SUVs respectively. The latter is a long-running model (dating back to 2004) that regularly tops sales charts around the world and both have been shaped and engineered specifically for European markets. Available with petrol, hybrid and plug-in-hybrid powertrains, they promise solid dependability and practicality without over-reliance on character.

Hyundai.com, @Hyundai

Avatr

Chinese brand Avatr announced its arrival in the European market next year, starting with Norway and Spain. The company presented the 2025 Vision Xpectra Concept alongside the world premiere of the Concept T09, although it will be the 06T sports sedan and 07L SUV that will lead the charge in 2027.

Avatr.com, @Avatr_design

For much of the 20th century, the Île Seguin, a 28-acre island just west of Paris, was a huge industrial complex, home to the first Renault factory. Now, 34 years after the factory's closure, the island is finding new life as a destination for culture.

It's been a long road to get here. The Renault plant closed its doors in 1992, and the buildings were demolished by 2005. Since then, the island has lain fallow, often described as cursed, the scene of a series of failed attempts to build ambitious projects. Early on, François Pinault asked Tadao Ando to design a contemporary art museum here, but he changed the location to Venice after losing patience with bureaucratic red tape. More recently, the Swiss art dealer Yves Bouvier tapped Jean Nouvel to build a cultural 'micro-city' on the island, but Bouvier was forced to abandon the project after allegations of fraud. One rare success story was a Shigeru Ban-designed concert hall, La Seine Musicale, built in 2017.

Step inside the new Île Seguin art centre, Large

Now it is joined by another cultural venue at the opposite tip of the island, where Laurent Dumas, CEO of the French real estate group Emerige, is constructing a 'Pointe des Arts'. The complex includes an IMAX cinema, a hotel, and a contemporary art centre called Large, which opens this month.

In contrast to the black glass sphere of La Seine Musicale, the Pointe des Arts is an angular group of buildings shaped like a sideways fin, with the museum in the middle like a copper-coloured ship. It's the first project in greater Paris for the Catalan firm RCR Arquitectes, which won the Pritzker Prize in 2017.

As RCR co-founder Carme Pigem explains, it was important to underline the project's location on an island and to engage with the surroundings. Openings and pedestrian thoroughfares cut through the buildings, providing glimpses of the river banks to either side. Metal cladding references the island's industrial history. The façade of the cinema is in rust-coloured corten steel, while the museum is covered in copper-pink scales of anodised aluminium.

'Corten steel develops a patina,' says Pigem. 'Then, as a counterpoint, we have the polished anodised aluminium, which plays on the changing atmosphere of the river landscape, capturing and creating these magical moments between the reflections on the water, the times of day, the different seasons, the interplay of ephemeral moments that you experience in a landscape like this.'

Some of the aluminium scales have microperforations that let sunlight in through large glass windows. From the exterior, the cladding appears as a solid skin. But from inside, these tiny holes create a filtered mashrabiya screen effect. RCR associate architect Gilles Trégouet explains, 'As you walk toward the exhibition rooms, you discover with surprise that this interior, which seemed quite introverted from the outside, actually multiplies the viewpoints out onto the landscape.'

In French, 'au large' means out to sea. But the museum's name also reflects its generous size: 5,000 sq m. Its sculptural form creates a multitude of shapes and volumes within it, some grand and others more intimate. 'All these spaces can be used for exhibition,’ says Pigem. ‘It’s not just that there's a small room dedicated to a small artwork. It’s about this entire space being for art, regardless of size or level. An entire journey centred around art, even outside on the terrace, where artwork can be displayed. Ultimately, it’s about creating a little world filled with endless possibilities.'

Visitors enter an expansive atrium on the ground floor, with a triangular staircase composed of steps and amphitheatre seating, a curved mezzanine overhead, and plenty of diffuse natural light through floor-to-ceiling windows. The flooring is made of dark galvanised steel planks. A cylinder runs up through the building's six floors like a vertebra, concealing the elevators.

A monumental escalator takes visitors from the mezzanine to the fourth floor, where the main exhibition space is a stunning 1,000 sq m and 14m high in places, without a single supporting pillar – a great space for showing monumental artworks. From here, visitors can step out onto a landscaped, panoramic terrace that wraps around the building and meets up with a café designed by Constance Guisset. The fifth and sixth floors contain smaller exhibition rooms (but still big enough to display a salt-corroded Renault covered in vegetation by South African artist Bianca Bondi).

The museum's unusual shape allows natural light to enter the main exhibition space through strategically placed slits. A week before opening, Laurent Dumas was walking through the newly installed inaugural exhibition, admiring the relationship between architecture and artworks. 'What surprises me is to see the reflected light, the extraordinary light on this work by Dubuffet, on the photos, on the background,' he said.

His aim with Large is to promote the French contemporary art scene – embracing both local and international artists living or working in France – with two seasons of temporary exhibitions per year, made up of loans from museums, artists and collections, including his own.

Curator Cecilia Alemani, who leads the art programme of New York's High Line, was invited to curate Large's inaugural show. Called 'Imaginary Engine,' it is dedicated to the theme of the automobile and all its facets: mechanics and assembly lines, factory workers and unions, the car as an object of desire, man and machine...

The show contains 120 works from the 1930s to today, nearly half from the Renault collection, dating back to the 1960s when the company started inviting artists to visit and collaborate with the factory. It includes exceptional works by Jean Dubuffet, Arman, Victor Vasarely (who designed the Renault logo), Simon Hantaï, Niki de Saint Phalle, Julio Le Parc and Jean Tinguely. The carmaker even hired a 22-year-old photographer unknown at the time, Robert Doisneau, to photograph the factory.

Large also commissioned 17 contemporary artists to create new works for the exhibition, such as Ghanaian sculptor Paa Joe, who made a 'fantasy coffin' inspired by the Renault taxi manufactured in the early 1900s. French artist Bertrand Lavier transformed a Formula One race car into a sculpture by covering it with a thick coat of paint.

Dumas wants Large to be accessible to the public, so 40 per cent of the space is open to all, and the exhibition is completely free for anyone aged 26 or under. And though Île Seguin isn't Venice, and there's no vaporetto, RCR has designed a charming new pedestrian bridge to the museum.

Large's exhibition 'Moteur Imaginaire/Imaginary Engine' runs from 17 October 2026 to 7 March 2027

large-emerige.fr

Understanding the history of the ‘house of the future’ requires looking back 70 years. In San Mateo Highlands, Eichler X-100 was built as a promotional prototype for a new kind of domestic architecture: developer Joseph Eichler, who specialised in wood-framed family houses, saw it as an opportunity to explore whether steel could revolutionise residential construction.

Explore the Eichler X-100. now on the market

A grand opening brochure published in 1956 described it as a ‘new living form that served as a research laboratory for testing new design concepts, new materials, and new techniques of construction’. Designed as a test house by architects A. Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmons, the residence embodied many of the modernist principles that came to define the Californian ideal of postwar living: exposed steel, expansive glass, garden courts, skylights, built-in furniture, and seamless indoor-outdoor connections. Within a few months, it attracted more than 150,000 visitors and generated extensive press coverage.

What began as a research project is now looking for a fifth custodian who appreciates the opportunity to write its next chapter. Having been restored to its original condition, it spans 2310 square feet, comprising three bedrooms, two living areas and an open kitchen, with two bathrooms positioned at its centre. Two interior gardens invite nature into the home, while glass sliding doors along the entire rear façade create a sense of openness, with views of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Initially sold for $47,000 in 1957, the house was later acquired by three other sets of owners. In 2016, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (the only Eichler house to receive the designation) and returned to its original glory the following year under the X-100 Renewal Project. Its current owner, Marty Arbunich, director of the Eichler Network, occasionally organises tours for educational purposes. Although it turned out to be the last steel house Eichler built, the X-100 remains remarkably relevant today as one of the most distinctive houses of the Californian modernist era.

For Sale: Eichler X-100, A. Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmons (1956), 1586 Lexington Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94402, via Boyenga Real Estate.

'What I was trying to understand was, what does it actually mean to make light,' says Gabriel Hendifar, artistic director of Apparatus. The question led him to Act V: Afsaneh, the New York design studio’s first new collection in five years, and a meditation on creativity, knowledge and the cycles of life.

'I really needed a moment to understand what I was saying and why,' he says of the time between collections. Hendifar had created an impressive body of work over the past 14 years, and wanted to consider 'the kinds of things and the ways of making that feel relevant now.'

In previous Acts, he channeled the glamour of late-1970s New York, the 'sparkly creative expression' of the Wiener Werkstätte, a reimagining of his family’s Iranian history and a playful vision of the future. With Act V, 'I am trying to make sense of where we are collectively by looking back at the cycle of the seed and the flower, and what it can mean for us to hold ideas dear and to amplify them.'

Afsaneh, which is both his mother’s name and the Persian word for fable, unfolds in four series: Esfand, the seed, symbolizing the mother; Gol, the flower, the amplification of the seed; Rahvi, the serpent and collector of knowledge; and Jahaan, the cosmos, where the seed, flower and knowledge are shared. As for materials, Hendifar explains, 'We’re working with materials that say something about the future, and something about the past, and place the work in an atemporal place.'

The seed becomes the collection’s building block, appearing in sconces, vessels and an incense burner. 'They feel like their own little universe, like they hold the entirety of the cosmos,' Hendifar says. In Gol, cast-glass seeds are enveloped by large fiberglass shades that suggest (depending on one’s point of view) flower petals, jellyfish or octopuses. 'This is the seed wrapped in beauty as a way to both protect it and attract the people who are meant to seek it,' he adds.

The amulets in Rahvi are crafted from seven semi-precious stones, including tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli and red jasper. Like the flower, they embody both amplification and protection. 'This is almost like a spiritual starter kit for leaning into the light,' he jokes. The final series, Jahaan, centers on the table. 'It’s where we gather to share knowledge. It’s where we gather to share food. The table is the idea of community.'

As with previous Acts, Afsaneh incorporates scent and performance. The fragrance, with notes of damask rose and oud, evokes what Hendifar calls 'moonlight in a desert rose garden.' This year he debuted five short films, made in collaboration with the Martha Graham Dance Company. Hendifar, who grew up as a musician and self-described theatre kid, sees film as another block in building each Act. 'It allows me to say a lot of things in a way that isn’t always so direct…it can feel like a collage.'

When scheming a new collection, he asks, 'What are we telling people in movement, sound and music? And what is the moment when we are gathering in a room together? What does it feel like to be at the party?'

For Hendifar, it’s about creating a world people want to enter, and leaving them with something that lingers long after they leave.

With their milk carton-inspired form factor and on point selection of colour finishes, the new Speaker S and Speaker M from CMF offer up a tantalisingly affordable piece of audio equipment for the younger generation. This is the first time that CMF – Nothing’s India-based sub-brand best known for their smartphones, watches and headphones – has ventured into the realm of portable audio.

The two sizes are self-explanatory (half a litre and a litre, for those still thinking about milk), and the speakers play nicely with each other via a special Stereo Mode and Party Mode, encouraging you to acquire a pair. In fact, it’s more of a set, given CMF have lived up to their name and dug deep into their palette bag to conjure up four delightful hues for each size, White, Dark Grey, Orange and Turquoise.

More playful in tone than Nothing, which tends to over-emphasise the tech within, CMF is about reduce functions to the most minimally appropriate forms. Both speakers therefore have simple and swappable front panels and knobs to further mix up the available chromatic options. On top of that, the company is encouraging 3D-printer owners to go while and add another layer of personalisation.

Both speakers include Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity, strong IP68 protection dust and water resistance rating and have an impressive maximum battery life of up to 18 hours in ideal conditions. Naturally, the larger speaker is the louder, with the smaller S targeted at desk workers who want a colourful audio companion that looks good even when there’s nothing on.

Both come with an Ultra Bass mode and can be further tuned through the Nothing X app. Charging is via USB-C, which also offers audio compatibility for ultra-low-latency playback (good for gaming).

The sizing guide suggests a Speaker L might be in the works for even more power, but for the time being you’ll have to make do with the custom-tuned 45 mm full-range driver and dual passive radiators in Speaker S (up to 10W output) and a dual-driver (25W woofer and 10W tweeter) in the Speaker M.

CMF Speaker S, $59, CMF Speaker M, $109, nothing.tech, @nothing

In 1928, when Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks conceived a mischievous mouse with two oversized circular ears, a corporate icon was born. ‘There are very few characters that people recognise in a second, wherever they are in the world,’ says Swedish designer Gustaf Westman, who today reveals the first three pieces from a new homeware collection with Disney. ‘For me, that is the highest level of design.’

What's in Gustaf Westman's Disney collection?

Westman’s 35-piece collection is based on Disney’s Mickey & Friends and spans gifts, apparel and home décor, as well as collectible, made-to-order furniture. The full collection will be unveiled at a free-to-attend pop-up in Paris, followed by events in Tokyo and New York, before launching globally online on 15 November. Further pieces will be revealed on Westman’s Instagram account throughout October.

Today's reveal includes a Mickey tumbler with mouse ears (€110), a Mickey-shaped black ceramic cup and saucer (€68) and a bulbous black leather sofa that evokes Mickey's silhouette (€9,250). ‘Mickey & Friends are built from very simple shapes and colours, yet everyone understands them. That fascinates me as a designer,' Westman tells Wallpaper*.

The Mickey Mouse tumbler, based on Westman’s own Chunky Tumbler – a ceramic cup and straw set in a doughnut-shaped coaster – translates Mickey into an abstract arrangement of ears, red shorts with white buttons and a yellow coaster that evokes his trademark shoes.

'It's probably my favourite piece,' says Westman. 'It’s very simple and almost obvious in the best possible way.’

Meanwhile, the sofa gave Westman more freedom to play with proportion and form, drawing on his trademark postmodern aesthetic and Memphis influences.

There is an obvious synergy between the legendary American brand’s cartoon characters and Westman’s work. Since establishing his Stockholm studio in 2020, the architect-turned-designer has won a following for his unashamedly playful and highly marketable style – full of glossy colour and volume – and collaborated with brands including Ikea, Nike and beauty brand Ilia.

A lifelong Disney fan himself, Westman describes the collaboration – which included a research trip to Disneyland Paris to immerse himself in Mickey's world – as 'a dream'. 'There is also so much emotion attached to these characters,' he reflects. 'People have known them since childhood, so you are designing with something that already carries all of these memories, feelings and associations.'

The Paris pop-up runs from 30 October to 1 November 2026, followed by Tokyo from 6 to 8 November and New York from 13 to 15 November. Visitors will be able to explore the collection and shop selected pieces ahead of the global online launch. Some items will also be available to purchase at Disneyland Paris.

The campaign was photographed at Disneyland Paris with Westman styled by Harry Lambert, whose clients include Harry Styles and Emma Corrin.

The Disney x Gustaf Westman collection launches online on 15 November at gustafwestman.com and through Beams in Japan

Design marketplace Basic.Space is an online platform where browsing feels like walking through a curated gallery. This week, it launches a $1 draw where the winner will take home a selection of objects and furniture inspired by the concept of the ‘lounge’. All proceeds will benefit the Virgil Abloh Foundation.

The draw, run in collaboration with Apple Pay, includes a series of design objects and never-before-seen pieces, such as a one-of-a-kind seat designed by Crosby Studios. The seat is heavily inspired by a business-class airplane seat, with an industrial, sculptural element. It is fully upholstered in a metallic silver fabric, and even though it looks like an installation, it is entirely functional, with a reclining chair, footrest and TV screen.

‘I travel so much that the airplane seat has become a kind of one-square-meter studio for me,’ says Harry Nuriev, designer and founder of Crosby Studios. ‘It’s where many of my ideas were born, a small, isolated capsule where I can focus, work, think, and disconnect from everything around me. With this object, I wanted to recreate that feeling.’

There will also be a rare Virgil Abloh Vitra collection up for grabs: the complete 2019 three-piece Virgil Abloh c/o Vitra collection, comprising a Ceramic Block, redesigned Jean Prouvé’s Antony chair (1950s) and Petite Potence lamp (1942), all in a baby blue colourway devised by Abloh.

Further design icons included in the draw are Gatto Lamps by Achille and Pier Castiglioni for Flos, the 'Bambole' Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, a ‘Diamond Dusty White Rug’ by Nordic Knots, and an LC10-P Coffee Table by Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, and Pierre Jeanneret, for Cassina.

The ‘lounge’ collection will be presented as a physical installation at Basic.Space New York (13-19 November 2026). The winner to be randomly selected on 8 December 2026.

Entries now open, closing 19 November 2026 at 11:59pm ET, exclusively via Apple Pay at basic.space/luxurydraw

Owning a historic work of architecture isn’t for the faint of heart – which may be why one of Los Angeles’ most famous houses has languished on the market.

Last November, Case Study House #22, otherwise known as the Stahl House, was listed for $25 million by the descendents of the home’s original clients, Buck and Carlotta Stahl. When completed, the house immediately drew acclaim, both for its stunning cantilevered design by modernist architect Pierre Koenig, and an iconic 1960 photograph snapped by Julius Schulman that went on to epitomise midcentury glamour. But buyers aren’t biting. In fact, the owners opted to slash the price by $5 million, hoping to attract the home’s next steward.

Why aren’t would-be buyers scrambling to snap up the Stahl House? First and foremost is the eye-watering $20 million price tag. The house, while visually breathtaking and historically significant, is modest in size, with just two bedrooms housed in its 2,200 sq ft. 'It’s impossible to put a price on fame,’ Mike Deasy, a real estate agent who has overseen the sale of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed residence, told the Los Angeles Times.

There’s also the question of maintenance. Historic properties require specialised care and upkeep to address aging materials and systems, work that can be time consuming and costly. In fact, that’s part of the reason the Stahls, who’ve kept the home in the family for some six decades, opted to part with their cherished home. ‘This home has been the center of our lives for decades, but as we’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly challenging to care for it with the attention and energy it so richly deserves,’ The Stahl children wrote in a statement on the Stahl House website.

Because of the house’s historical designations (it’s on the National Registry for Historic Places, and an LA Historic-Cultural Monument), it would be tricky (not to mention controversial) to alter or expand the building.

Whether or not the discount will compel the right buyer to make a move remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: they’ll be owning a piece of America’s architectural history, something you can't put a dollar on.

This Clerkenwell house represents the near-complete remodel of an existing property - the keen-eyed reader might recognise it as the home of designer Roksanda Ilincic ten years ago. Now reinvented for a family of three with a passion for travelling and art, the building was fully redesigned by architect Pauline Gidoin of MM Studio Interior.

The current owners had been living in the home for eight years, using a mix of the furniture they owned prior to purchasing it, and the original project's existing structure. Over the years, they realised they needed to fine tune the space and upgrade it to their own personal needs. They called upon Gidoin to optimise and tailor design their space for their specific purposes.

'Although the architecture was very strong, the rooms didn't necessarily feel connected to the scale or character of the house. In the large open-plan ground floor in particular, pieces felt as though they were floating within the space rather than defining it,' the architect says.

'Just before they contacted us, they had completed two infill extensions to the upper bedrooms, creating two much more usable rooms that now needed to be properly designed. It felt like the right moment to look at the house in its entirety.'

Gidoin developed a design working closely with Tate Joinery, who worked on all the bespoke storage elements throughout. The aim was the balance the property's bold looks with functionality, and bring warmth to the strong architectural interior.

She explains: 'We described the design language early on as Brutalist and minimalist. I didn't want to fight the architecture or fill the house with objects. Instead, the idea was to work with a relatively restrained number of pieces, but make each one count through proportion, texture and materiality.'

'Spatially, each floor presented almost the opposite problem. The ground floor was extremely generous and needed to be broken down into distinct living, dining and music areas without introducing walls. Upstairs and on the lower-ground floor, the challenge was much more about making every centimetre useful, incorporating storage and responding to very different qualities of natural light. We used furniture placement, rugs, lighting, art and bespoke joinery almost architecturally to define those spaces.'

It was this challenge, the need to rebalance and fine-tune between large, flowing and cosy spaces, that helped define the project, the architect explains: 'I think that contrast ultimately became one of the strengths of the project: some spaces needed to be given more definition, while others needed to work much harder within a smaller footprint. The bespoke elements helped us solve those very different conditions, while the consistent material palette and the clients’ art collection create continuity throughout the house.'

Natural materials throughout, particularly travertine in both refined and rougher finishes, oak, walnut, limestone, leather and chrome, were used in an honest way, exposed and left 'brutalist' to add texture to the spaces. Instead of using lots of different finishes, the team worked with a restrained family of materials repeatedly, simply altering their scale, texture and application from room to room. This allowed the whole to feel consistent but also varied and truly bespoke.

It has been almost two years since the British designer Kim Jones stepped away from his role at Dior Men after a seven-year tenure, having exited Fendi – where he oversaw womenswear and haute couture – the October prior (he was at the Italian house for four years).

In the time since, Jones has not left fashion entirely: in October 2025, he was drafted by Chinese outerwear behemoth Bosideng to helm a new line titled ‘Areal’ which launched with a 20-piece capsule, while Switzerland-based luxury hotel brand Aman drafted the designer to create a collection of casual- and sleepwear for its Aman Essentials offshoot.

But this morning Jones announces a more definitive return to fashion with the launch of an eponymous label, Kim Jones (in some ways, it could be considered a relaunch, having held an eponymous line from 2003-2008 after graduating from the MA Fashion menswear program in 2002). It will launch for A/W 2027, placing it within a season of shows which will run from January-March (whether or not he will show at one of these fashion weeks is yet to be announced) and he will work on the line alongside his longtime design collaborator, Lucy Beeden (according to Business of Fashion, the pair will hold a majority stake alongside a ‘undisclosed investor’).

‘After many years working with incredible houses and collaborators, it feels like the right moment to do something under my own name again,’ says Jones, who was awarded an OBE in 2020 for services to the fashion and textile industry, having also served as creative director of Dunhill (2008-2010) and Louis Vuitton’s menswear line (2011-2018). ‘This brings together the things I’ve always been interested in – fashion, art and design – and gives me the space to work with people I admire and explore new ideas.’

So far, little more about the collection has been revealed by the London-born designer, save for its logo (the designer’s name in lower-case serif, presented on the diagonal), and its production, which will take place largely in Japan, having been designed in his London studio (leather goods will be crafted in Italy). Prices, meanwhile, are described as ‘considered’ and the collection will be designed ‘with versatility at its core, [offering] a broader wardrobe unrestricted by traditional categories.’ Several of the designs will draw on pieces from Jones’ archive.

The collection will launch in mid-2027 on the designer’s new website, while the first bricks-and-mortar store is slated for Hong Kong in autumn of 2027 (the 4,000 sq ft address is in new development Central Yards, which overlooks Victoria Harbour). Further stores across Asia, and international retail partners, are expected to follow. ‘I’m excited about what comes next,’ says the designer.

Stellantis used the 2026 Mondial de l’Auto in Paris to set out its stall for the near future. Promising a veritably galactic spread of concept cars, plus a vast stand at the show itself, where a grand total of 60 cars across its eight-brand portfolio were on display.

Ahead of the opening day, Stellantis assembled six ultra-significant concepts for a special showing at Hangar Y in Meudon, to the south of the city centre, where a former airship hangar has been converted to a vast event space on a forested site. ‘The Night Before’ promised a close-up view of the building blocks of Stellantis’ Fast Lane 2030 strategy, complete with buoyant CEOs bigging up their respective charges in a familial and welcoming environment.

The music ebbed and throbbed in Zimmer-y approximations, graphics spun across the screen and Stellantis milked the galactic associations for all they were worth. With a runway flanked by tiers of seating, the night was clearly meant to ape the style and presentation of a fashion show, taking care to put clear blue water between each brand with a shift in music, graphics and presentation modes.

This, Stellantis reckons, is its path to success: brand differentiation. With such a big portfolio, there are savings to be made by using shared platforms. That’s all the more reason to dig into the history of each brand, identify what it’s best at and strive to make that the focus going forwards. Think of Stellantis’ future portfolio as a big box of Quality Street, as opposed to a packet of M&Ms.

Of the six concepts showcased at Hangar Y, some were more successful than others, but that speaks volumes as to the prominence and cultural memory of particular brand histories, and how each individual name has managed to steward, shape and evolve these values over the decades. Here’s our guide to the unveiling and the event.

Citroën 2CV Concept

Top of the tree and the best-received concept on the night was the long-awaited revival of the legendary Citroën 2CV. Stung by rival Renault’s assault on the sales charts with its cheekily retro R4 and R5, as well as mindful of stablemate Fiat’s own masterful control of its heritage, it’s surprising that it’s taken Citroën so long. Like the R4 and R5, the 2CV will be electric only. The concept is – we’re promised – apparently very close to the production reality.

There’s a wealth of genuinely entertaining detailing here, all of which hasn’t just been carried out in homage to the original, but as a way of finding new methods to keep costs down. Citroën aims to get the production 2CV (here by 2028, hopefully) to come in at the magic €15,000 mark. Whether global geopolitics will allow such a thing to happen is another matter, but you can’t argue with their thinking.

This pricing is largely down to the new E-Car platform, Stellantis’ dedicated electric city-car underpinnings. With so many of its brands occupying various strata of this important European sector, it makes sense to find a new, ultra-efficient way of catering to it. Alongside the price, the tech is also designed so that cars can be made within Europe itself.

The original 2CV had its origins before the Second World War, a car for everyone that was equally at home on the rutted tracks of rural France as it was on cobbled Parisian streets. The concept takes this stripped-back ethos and runs with it, from the rollback canvas roof to the bent metal sofa stylings of the seats. The door handles, the vents, the removable radio, the creased bonnet, the bumpers, the quirky gear shift – it’s all here. Nostalgists will have a field day, and it's still a delightful sight for the rest of us.

Citroën.fr, @Citroen

Fiat Multiplay Concept

Next up in the desirability stakes is the Fiat Multiplay. Representing a pleasant and perverse stroll down memory lane, the Multiplay takes the three-row six-seater 1956 original Multipla and splices it with the three-abreast quirkiness of the 1999 revival. All of this is intertwined with the DNA of a pick-up truck.

Relatively hefty in scale (4.5m long) and extremely capacious inside, the Multiplay offers three of endlessly reconfigurable seating and a clever rear end that slides forward to open up the boot to the elements so it can take large items like bikes and camping gear.

Slide it back and the interior space achieves its full volume. Flexible interiors elements include the ‘Petsenger seat’ and the ‘Sunseat’ lounger, while the bright pastel packaging and simple interior forms evoke the best contemporary Italian domestic design.

The Multiplay came on stage soundtracked by the spirited and deliberate gibberish of Adriano Celentano’s 1972 hit ‘Prisencolinensinainciusol’; we can only hope the future of Fiat’s Utility Vehicle makes more sense.

Fiat.com, @Fiat

Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso

Fury and spirit are the emotions conjured up by the angry-looking Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso concept, a four-door saloon that previews the next generation electric Giulia. In the sliced and diced demographic pie that makes up the Stellantis audience, Alfa owners are meant to be the most emotional (and perhaps irrational?), letting their heart rule their head. Alfa calls the design approach that's laser targeted at these folks the ‘Bellezza Necessaria’ philosophy.

From some angles, the Alfa Romeo is almost cartoonish in its approach, all red and black masculinity with a throaty voiceover. The deep Rosso red bodywork, massive pepperpot style wheels, illuminated front grille and spoiler that appears to scoop all before it are all amped up elements from Alfas past. As are the insectoid front headlamps, circular rear units and the muscular bonnet and rear haunches come together to complete the picture.

Describing it as a ‘car for people in love with driving’, the Cuorerosso has aesthetic antecedents from recent memory, notably the 4C sportscar and the 2008 Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione. In its exaggerated posture and stance, we think it’s a bit more Brad Bird than Brad Pitt.

AlfaRomeo.com, @AlfaRomeoOfficial

DS Automobiles DS Fever

Along with Maserati (a no-show tonight together with Jeep, Lancia and Abarth), DS Automobiles is probably batting on the stickiest wicket in the Stellantis camp. Ostensibly a luxury brand, DS builds great and elegant cars that sit in a great airless no-man’s-land betwixt premium and volume offerings.

To help balance the books, DS needs to sell more cars and the best sector in which to do that is the upscale supermini. Hence the DS Fever concept, styled F3VER in a not-so-subtle nod to the fact that it previews the next generation DS3. This is an important car for the brand, the model that started it all and helped persuade others that small cars could be premium objects of desire.

Setting itself a tall target of ‘reinventing the compact car’, DS Fever offers a weighty, well-balanced stance and a neat rear three-quarter view. All those semi-translucent panels and intersecting colours give customers ample opportunity for customisation (which helps the bottom line).

While the infinity-style rear lights work well, our first glimpse of the front end was a bit like seeing a deepwater fish loom out of the gloom. ‘It doesn’t try to look like anything else,’ said the company spokesman, candidly.

DSAutomobiles.com, @DS_Automobiles

Peugeot RCZ Vision

The RCZ Vision was joined be the T16 Concept on the Peugeot stand, but at The Night Before it stood alone, a representation of the newest iteration of Peugeot’s ever-evolving design language. Taking the form of a revival of the quirky RCZ from 2009, the concept does a decent fist of making the bubble-topped original more elegant and fluent. The first car was meant to be an Audi TT rival but never quite got off the ground.

The Peugeot design revival has certainly given its hatchbacks, SUVs and estates a good going-over, but the company still hasn’t made a truly beautiful two-door since the Pininfarina-penned 406 Coupé from 1997. Could the RCZ be the one to fix this omission? Or is it simply representation of the ‘soul of our brand’, with a little bit too much emphasis on its alleged leonine qualities.

The double-bubble glass cabin is mirrored in the transparent glass information screen hung from the dash, while Peugeot’s idiosyncratic quartic steering wheel – the ‘hypersquare’ – is all present and correct. A brightly illuminated Peugeot badge finishes off the front end – an almost universally adopted device across this future preview of the Stellantis range.

Peugeot.com, @Peugeot

Opel STX Concept

Perversely, all things Opel are known as Vauxhalls in the UK, even if every other aspect of the car changes. For a long time, Vauxhall was one of the biggest UK manufacturers and it’s fair to say that a vox pop of older car buyers would describe the brand as British. Opel, on the other hand, is very German. So German, in fact, that it announced the new STX Concept with a flurry of campy Berlin techno and doubled down on the Germanic engineering obsession that the concept represents.

So could this boxy four-door shooting brake pass off as a Brit when the badges are switched? Possibly not. The STX Concept offers up an idea of the future direction of the non-SUV elements of its range. Cars like the Astra Sports Tourer do venerable service in a culture that largely overlooks the utility of a small but practical estate car. The STX – Sports Tourer Experimental – wants to change that staid image and give it a bit of a kick.

From the abrupt verticality of the Kamm-style tail to the ultra-faceted frontal treatment, the ‘Vizor’, with its new vertical light elements, the STX Concept could set Opel (and Vauxhall) on a very different course, one that’s more emotive rather than staid and practical.

Opel.fr, @Opel

Lake Tahoe is a long way to go just to experience an additional 15mm of suspension travel. But that’s the situation we find ourselves in as we ponder the role of the new Mini Countryman Untamed Edition, a bolstered and buffed-up version of the carmaker’s largest model that’s aimed at adventurers with more than just a casual relationship with the outdoors.

Our first glance of the Untamed is not especially wilderness adjacent. Perched on the edge of a lakeside golf course, the Mini Countryman Untamed Edition makes its debut graced with an Autohome roof top tent, the most visible manifestation of the effort that has gone into making this the peak Countryman variant.

This is an immaculate resort, a place where entropy is fought with tooth and nail and migrant labour, countless open gas fires heat up the bright blue Nevada skies and the architecture is all monumental masonry and chunky timber. As a result, there aren’t many parallels to be drawn with the Untamed Edition’s materiality, which majors on hardwearing, durable surfaces with a tactile textured feel. It’s all part of the auto industry’s renewed interest in the role of CMF (Colour, Material, and Finish), and how twists and tweaks in interior presentation can radically alter our perception of a product.

Interestingly, Mini’s team – led by Head of MINI Design Holger Hampf – aren’t keen on stressing recyclability, simply pointing out that these things should be taken for granted these days. Instead, there are other inspirational origins, including Sir Paul Smith’s Mini Strip concept, a bare-bones edition of the Mini Cooper that ultimately manifested itself as the production Mini Paul Smith Edition.

Both cars pointed the way towards a more earthy, hard-wearing and tactile interior treatment, one that the new Countryman variant has taken to new levels. Hampf also reminds us of other earlier off-road Mini concepts, the “Red Mudder” Mini Cooper S by fashion label DSQUARED² from 2011 and the 2009 Mini Beachcomber Concept. Then there’s the impressive racing history of the original Mini, which won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967.

It all adds up to a spirited playfulness, a value BMW has worked hard to integrate into public perception of Mini since it took stewardship of the brand at the turn of the century. ‘Mini is one of those brands with a 60-year history – it’s a huge responsibility as a designer,’ Hampf admits, ‘you have to get it right.’

BMW’s work with Mini is a masterclass in branding, updating the image of a much-loved design and engineering masterpiece (but a very poor piece of business) into a contemporary icon. Out of this warm soup of happy social and cultural memories, BMW’s crack team of brand stewards shaped a model infused with just enough spirit of the 60s original to carry it aloft into the cynical 21st century.

In addition to the lifted suspension and adjustments to steering and traction control, the new scar also gets more rugged Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tyres, exclusive 19” wheel designs, two new paint colours and a host of other enhancements inspired by travel, adventure and the hard-wearing, technical sheen of gorpcore materials and detailing.

Rubber floor mats, elastic straps on the centre console and woven bicolour dashboard material all make the interior more robust, while the exterior gets protective black film, a new grille and the Mini’s first matte exterior finish, Frozen Nomad Blue.

There’s even a tie-in with Helinox, makers of lightweight, foldable outdoor furniture, to really rub in the adventuring ethos. The Untamed Edition will be made available across all markets and models, so you can choose an EV, hybrid or ICE version should you so desire.

The SUV has always represented embedded potential, an aspiration to get away from the urban grind and hit the trails. For the most part, many compact SUVs and crossovers are all mouth and no trousers, their off-road origins subsumed into mere styling. But as another publication recently pointed out, today's Mini Countryman is larger and heavier than the original Range Rover 'Classic', a car which arguably still has the edge when it comes to off-roading.

The Untamed Edition goes some way to redressing this anomaly. Yet like Arc'teryx jackets in Brooklyn, only a small percentage of wearers will actually head out for a weekend hike.

In Nevada, the Untamed Edition certainly went on to earn its spurs. Thanks to the increased ride height and new tyres, the Countryman proved adept at tackling one of the state’s vast network of 1,500 off-road trails. Even the grizzled old hand who led us up the hill, gliding across crevasses in his heavily modified Jeep Wrangler, grudgingly admitted to being impressed that these off-the-shelf SUVs made it up his mountain, through deep ruts and massive boulders (and thanks in no small part to the skill and enthusiasm of my co-driver).

Coming down is markedly easier, and with the sunlight streaming through the trees and the dust clouds kicked up by the tyres, the attractions of this outdoor lifestyle become evident.

The US – Mini’s third largest market after the UK and Germany – is the ideal home for the Countryman Untamed, a place where true wilderness still exists beyond the suburb and the strip mall. Its authenticity might ultimately be a clever concoction, but if you want capability without the overbearing presence of a big SUV, the Mini Countryman Untamed Edition can definitely take the rough with the smooth.

Mini Countryman Untamed Edition, more information at Mini.co.uk, @MiniUK

Where does an architect live? Architects' houses often capture our imagination. Think of Lina Bo Bardi's home, with its Brazilian modernist flair, or Alvar Aalto’s retreat, brimming with organic forms and natural materials. Now, we don't have to wonder any more; a dedicated new book by Phaidon allows readers a glimpse inside the homes of some of the greatest architects of the last 75 years.

Architects' Houses, a new book by Phaidon

Architects’ Houses, written by Dominic Bradbury, explores the safe spaces where these creative minds resided and where myriad brilliant designs were born. The hefty tome features over 200 residences, showcasing both the interiors and exteriors of each one.

Whittling down the projects to feature was no easy feat, as Bradbury told Wallpaper*: ‘We began by drawing up a rather ambitious long wish list of architects and houses that we were interested in featuring, including projects from all around the world, running across a timeline from 1950 through to today.

'The ambition was to have a wide spectrum of pioneering homes that, in their own way, told a bigger story about the evolution of modern residential architecture. But then there was the difficult challenge of editing down that wish list to 200 entries while carefully curating the content, keeping hold of the ambition to create a truly international and wide-ranging survey.’

Naturally, Bradbury felt key industry figures had to be included, hence the homes of Charles & Ray Eames, Lina Bo Bardi, Richard Neutra, Frank Gehry, Peter Zumthor, Shoei Yoh and other master architects. However, beyond this, he explained he was also looking for lesser-known, individual homes that explored different ways of thinking: ‘From Marcos Acayaba in Brazil, for instance, through to Kulapat Yantrasast in California. The sense of difference and individuality within each project was key to the selection process,’ he explains.

With each inclusion, there is a short paragraph on the architect’s design theories, dreams, and beliefs. The author doesn't dwell on each architect’s major career commissions, which makes Architects' Houses a rather refreshing and honest take on their work.

When asked if there are any similarities between the featured architects’ work, Bradbury notes, ‘There are a few common threads or themes that one might pick out. There is, for the most part, a true sense of respect for context and for the precious landscapes that we live in. Sustainability and environmental awareness, similarly, can be seen through so many of the featured homes.’

However, it was the more sculptural and experimental houses that offered the most surprises. ‘There are projects such as Javier Senosiain’s Casa Orgánica or Juan O’Gorman’s Casa Cueva, which have the character and provenance of artworks as much as living homes; on the more experimental side, Eduardo Longo’s Casa Bola, Richard Foster’s Round House and Agustin Hernández’s Praxis House are all wonderfully inventive and groundbreaking,’ he adds.

Bradbury concludes: ‘I think it’s the sense of difference and individuality seen throughout the projects in the book that really makes it so special. It’s incredible to see so many inspiring solutions to the architectural challenge of creating a bespoke home offered by architects from all around the world.’

Architects' Houses by Dominic Bradbury for Phaidon, £69.95, is available via phaidon.com

A certain segment of New York’s population will get in line for just about anything – pastries, soft serve, the Jimmy Choo sample sale. Late January was no exception when throngs of people queued to catch a whiff of the rare Amorphophallus gigas, more commonly known as the Corpse Flower, at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

The putrid blossom smells like carrion to attract pollinators and only blooms for a few days. But the flower, christened ‘Smelliot’ by garden staffers, made a lasting impression on US400 perfumer David Seth Moltz, the co-founder of the cult New York fragrance brand, DS & Durga.

‘I was tracking it on their socials like everyone else. I happened to time [my visit] at peak stink,’ Moltz tells Wallpaper* says of his visit to BBG. ‘The aroma was so multifaceted - layers of cheese, garbage, rotten fish, death, rubber lily.’

Such a stink would cause most to run for the hills. But for Moltz, who has synesthesia, a condition in which the act of smelling can also present visual images and colors, the scent was a revelation.

‘I stuck my nose inside and stayed there for a while,’ he says. ‘I started to think how cool it would be if the most putrid flower was reborn in gorgeous opposition – rubber lily bulb becomes Madonna lily, cheese becomes tuberose, etcetera. Synesthesia comes into the process of how I make all perfumes – like painting and shading a scent based on the colours triggered by what I sniff.’

The result is one of the most unusual, and hypnotic, perfumes to hit the market recently, Resurrected Corpse Flower. The fragrance is the diametric opposite to its odiferous inspiration. Where the corpse flower smells like rot, this aroma is fresh and primordial with notes of bog cedar, heady lily and hypnotic tuberose.

‘It’s a balance of contrasts,’ Moltz explains. ‘Most of the notes are multidimensional. It opens with green olive – which is salty, yet fresh. Grapefruit – bitter, but floral and fresh. Tuberose – floral but chalky. Green banana – tart.’ All told, it brings to mind a very sexy swamp.

Moltz hopes that the new perfume draws plant lovers and ‘anyone who is interested in flowers with a real interesting twist.’ It's a twist that's certainly well worth the whiff. But those who want the opportunity to inhale the aroma of the real McCoy will have to wait – Smelliot only blooms once every few years.

What’s new in the world of countertop brewing? Coffee aficionados have more choice than ever before, as classic designs are reimagined and new forms of capsule, pod, drip, filter and bean-to-cup machines make their way onto the market. We’ve assembled six contenders in the race to create the perfect cup.

Lelit Victoria3 and Elizabeth3

Lelit’s two new espresso machines, the Elizabeth3 and Victoria3, offer a choice of scale, both in terms of countertop real estate and their capacity. The Victoria3 has a single boiler, while the Elizabeth3 is a dual-boiler machine, and both come with Lelit’s Pagaia dedicated flow-control system, all part of the company’s philosophy of crafting coffee. Flow control is a means of moderating the pressure via a lever, for those ‘passionate home baristas who see coffee-making as both a craft and a ritual’.

The Elizabeth3’s dual-boiler system enables you to brew and steam simultaneously. Both models come in classic stainless steel as well as white and black finishes and feature real wood controls as well as integrated LED lighting. The Italian company was founded in 1986 and specialises in prosumer coffee machines, all of which are manufactured in-house.

Lelit Victoria3, available in stainless steel, black and white, from £999.95, Lelit.com
Lelit Elizabeth3, available in stainless steel, black and white, from £1,499.95, Lelit.com

Lavazza Tablì

Marking a rare departure from coffee-making orthodoxy, Lavazza’s new Tablì system introduces the brand’s first coffee ‘tablet’ system. Each single-serve unit is 100 per cent formed from coffee, with ultra-compacted grounds used to create a coating-free coffee tab, which can be disposed of in food waste systems.

On top of this innovation, which reduces excessive packaging, Lavazza is introducing a special ‘Crema Plus’ technology to replicate the flavour and feel of authentic coffee. The Tablì machine itself is more organic and less traditional in appearance, with a more futuristic form – the technically minded will be delighted to discover that it is WiFI enabled and compatible with Alexa and Google Home.

Lavazza Tablì, available in Sand White, Graphite Black and Walnut Brown, £199, Lavazza.co.uk, JohnLewis.com

The Brewer by SimplyGoodCoffee

SimplyGoodCoffee has updated its iconic Brewer filter coffee machine with the addition of a programmable timer system. The eight-cup coffee maker is already completely plastic-free, with a borosilicate glass carafe and water pipe, combined with silicone and stainless steel.

Other upgrades include a more efficient heater and the timer system, which allows you to have a fresh cup of coffee scheduled and waiting in the morning. Capable of brewing up to eight cups in just six minutes, The Brewer can also be operated with a push of a button, favouring simplicity and functionalism over complex rituals.

The Brewer, $399.99, SimplyGoodCoffee.com

Caraway Home Coffee Maker

Kitchenware company Caraway’s debut home appliance is the new Caraway Coffee Maker, a ten-cup capacity brewer that adopts clean lines and a minimal footprint. Available in Cream, Stone-grey, Midnight-blue and Clay-red, Caraway’s offering strips back the control surfaces to a single dial with a plastic-free brewing path and full dishwasher compatibility.

Caraway Coffee Maker, $495, CarawayHome.com

Aarke Coffee Maker

Aarke’s Coffee Maker is now available in a new Matte White colourway, a choice partly inspired by the 2026 Pantone Colour of the Year, Cloud Dancer. Sold through Williams-Sonoma and Aarke’s own website (not yet on the UK site, which currently has existing colours only), the machine includes an integrated hot plate, up to ten-cup capacity, an illuminated water tank and solid stainless-steel construction. The new hue joins the raw steel, Matte Black and Sand colours.

Aarke Coffee Maker in Matte White, $320, Aarke.us, Williams-Sonoma.com
In the UK, existing colours are available at uk.aarke.com

Loewe aura.matic

Following on from the aura.pure, Loewe is broadening its home selection with the new, ultra high-end aura.matic automatic coffee machine (coming soon). While the aura.pure (£1,999) is a professional-grade home espresso machine, the aura.matic provides a truly automated bean-to-cup system, with twin grinders to keep two different bean varieties (or regular and decaf) on the go at once.

The onboard system offers 18 different specialty coffees, all of which can be tweaked to taste via the seven-inch touch display. In addition, there’s a dedicated Loewe aura.matic app that opens up the possibility of remote preparation. An integrated milk system and automatic cup detection keep mess to a minimum, while the device itself follows Loewe’s rigorously architectural design approach, with a wooden frame combined with aluminium and a glass front panel.

Loewe aura.matic, £5,000/€5,000, Loewe.tv

‘I have to say, I used to think people who are crazy about natural perfume are the kind of people who rubbed rocks on themselves or something,’ says Amy Smilovic, creative director of the New York-based clothing brand Tibi.

‘Rock deodorant,’ Frances Shoemack, founder of Abel, clarifies, as we sit in the Paris showroom that will soon host the launch party for the duo’s new fragrance.

‘But once I started wearing Abel, I realised that natural fragrances could be something completely different,’ says Tibi.

Abel has indeed made itself something of a revolutionary in the world of fragrance by using 100 per cent natural ingredients to create perfumes that are as complex, long-lasting and appealing as their synthetic counterparts (ie, most fragrances on the market today). Through a specialised fermentation process, the brand transforms plant sugars into scent molecules, which are then constructed into niche perfumes by master perfumer Isaac Sinclair. Rock deodorants, these are not.

Shoemack and Sinclair teamed up to create a scent for Tibi that reflected the brand’s philosophy of ‘creative pragmatism’, or clothes that combine everyday utility with a unique, creative sensibility. It’s that contrast – between ease and inventiveness, minimalism and a slight edge – that the pair sought to recreate in fragrance form.

To do that, Sinclair started with a heart of paper and vetiver. ‘The paper gives it a freshness and the vetiver a woodiness,’ he says. ‘So we were lucky to [hit on] that combination right from the beginning because it created the contrast we were looking for. Then it was just a question of kind of filling it out.’

The ingredients filling it out include yerba mate from South America for a soft, herbaceous quality; timut pepper from Nepal for a sharp, almost spicy quality; and grapefruit for additional freshness. The final result is bright and clean, like skin fresh out of the shower, but with the added complexity of the woody vetiver.

For Shoemack and Smilovic, the process of conceptualising the fragrance was an effortless one. To start, Smilovic brought Shoemack a selection of perfumes she had worn herself over the years to give Shoemack a sense of taste and preferences. From there, the Abel team spent two years working on the formulation without the pressure of a tight deadline, perfecting it until they hit on a scent that felt modern and easy to wear, in the same vein as the clothes Smilovic designs. The final result is a fresh fragrance with a unique woody undertone that challenges the expectations of what a natural fragrance can be.

Photographer Spencer Lowell’s new monograph Futures Past brings together a stunning selection of images on the theme of technology. Lowell’s editorial work is not just about chronicling innovations in processes and manufacturing, but also the ways in which humans interact with emerging tech.

The New York-based photographer drew on material from shoots undertaken around the world between 2007 and 2024, mostly focusing on the USA but with forays into territories like Chile, Norway and Japan. The assignments cover the awe-inspiring – the launch of the Curiosity Mars Rover at Cape Canaveral in 2011 and a view of an experimental ‘fire tornado’ in a Montana lab – to the quirky and the dystopian – from a ‘Butt Robot’ testing seating in Batesville, Indiana, to an Automated Cow Milking System in the Netherlands. The book was designed by Luminosity Lab.

The introduction by the writer and climate activist Daniel Sherrell frames the work as a true expression of our current age. ‘There are people in these photos, but rarely are there individuals,’ he writes. ‘The technologies are the real individuals, protagonists of their own cryptic story. The photographs capture them on their own terms, in the worlds that they’ve built – worlds that both serve and exclude us.’

Lowell, born and raised in Los Angeles, has made the increasingly volatile staging ground between the natural and artificial worlds his beat. His photographic studies range from studies of nuclear power stations and data centres, through to unflinching close-ups of ocean microplastic, captive dolphins and decommissioned spacecraft. Whether or not they're physically present in his images, the effects both of and on humans are central to his work.

Futures Past, Spencer Lowell, text by Daniel Sherrell, KGP Monolith, $75, KrisGravesProjects.com, @KGPNYC, SpencerLowell.com, @SpencerLowell_

UK architecture studio Koto has made a speciality of prefabricated architecture, elevating the humble cabin into a well-crafted structure that can be precisely tailored to its location and use. The firm’s newest product is Haku, a ‘fully mobile piece of architecture’ pitched at everyone from hotels to homeowners who want the flexibility of additional accommodation without being tied down to a specific spot.

Explore Koto's new Haku suite cabin

The first Haku sites have recently been completed at the Denton Estate in Yorkshire. Demonstrating the flexibility of the system, Haku has been configured as an upscale hotel suite, complete with wood-burning stove and rain-shower bathroom. Countless other uses are possible, all thanks to the way the design slides into a particular loophole in UK planning law.

Because it sits on a wheeled chassis, the Haku is legally defined as a caravan (under the under the Caravan Sites Act 1968, no less). At a stroke, that does away with restrictions on placement in the landscape, giving the unit access to spots that might otherwise be out of bounds. Because it needs no foundations or concrete slab, the Haku can be removed as easily as it is installed, leaving no scar on the landscape. Measuring 9.74m long by 3.60m wide and 3.85m high, the Haku can easily be trucked onto most sites.

The building itself is timber framed, with an organic façade made from expanded cork. Koto can also fully furnish the Haku, creating a turnkey hospitality solution, with ultra-short lead times for design, construction and delivery compared to a conventional building. Order enough, and the price comes down – Koto suggests a unit cost of £80k per suite (or £90k each for off-grid units) if you take 15 units.

‘Haku takes the same philosophy as every Koto commission and releases it from a fixed address,’ says Koto’s co-founder Johnathon Little. ‘What matters is where it can stand: the clearing, the shelf above the water, the ground an estate has always had to leave alone. [It is] architecture that finds its place.’

Haku is available to hotels, estates and landowners from today. At volume, Haku starts from £80,000 per suite on-grid and £90,000 off-grid at fifteen units, with a tiered pricing scale available for operators planning a phased or multi-suite rollout.

Koto.co.uk

Pray tell what is this, you ask. A Saturn V on a skateboard, that’s what. It’s called the Nichols N1A. It’s a handsomely raw British-built giant killer that looks like it’s been cooked up in a shed in the 1960s. Behind the cockpit sits a stentorian 7.0 naturally-aspirated pushrod Chevy V8. This produces 705bhp, while the whole car weighs just 900kg thanks to a bonded extruded aluminium and carbon-fibre chassis. 783bhp per tonne; that’s more than Ferrari’s latest hybrid hypercar, the F80. The N1A is a humble sports car that’s downed a gourd of Asterix’s magic potion. Its top speed of 240mph will leave the digital Fezza in the dust.

This is power-to-weight and performance we associate with old-school Formula One, which its inventor knows a lot about. He shouldn’t need an introduction, but he does. If you’re a petrolhead you’ll have heard of Colin Chapman, Gordon Murray, Rory Byrne and Adrian Newey – the Mount Rushmore of F1 designers. Steve Nichols should have a giant carving of his head somewhere at Silverstone, too. The 79-year-old American sketched the most dominant F1 car of all time, the McLaren MP4/4 which won 15 out of 16 races during the 1988 season (and would have won them all had Ayrton Senna not clouted a backmarker while leading at Monza).

Alongside colleague John Barnard, he was a pioneer of carbon-fibre monocoques. After this first chapter at McLaren, Nichols followed Alain Prost to Ferrari, before returning to McLaren as engineering director on the MP4/13 and MP4/14 that took Mika Hakkinen to double world title glory. Having retired from grand prix racing a quarter of a century ago, Steve’s turned his attention to the cars that first excited him as a young engineer and race fan: Can-Am.

The Canadian-American Challenge Cup was a radical sports car racing series held in North America from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s. These open-cockpit, closed-wheel machines had a wide, flat silhouette, with a tiny windscreen and a long tail. The pushrod V8s were bestial. The fat tyres and vast exhausts added to the aesthetic of industrialised testosterone. They looked more like land-speed weapons or prototypes than finished racing cars. Just looking at them makes me want to grow a moustache and take up smoking.

The most lauded Can-Am cars were built by McLaren. The Nichols N1A takes direct inspiration from the McLaren M1A, the first sports car designed and developed by Bruce McLaren’s team in 1963. The M1A and its derivatives all had a similar power-to-weight as that of the featherlight and fire-breathing N1A. However, these Can-Am cars were built strictly for the track. The N1A is fully road-legal with a number plate and a thumbs up from the DVLA.

‘When I was looking for a project to keep me amused in my old age, the idea of taking a fresh look at the very first McLaren, the M1A, had great appeal,’ says Nichols. McLaren Automotive says it’s fully focused on the future not the past, which has allowed Nichols Cars to create a heritage product without stepping on any toes. Additional inspiration comes from what was arguably the most famous papaya-coloured McLaren before Lando Norris won the 2025 F1 title, the Chevrolet-powered M6A. Bruce McLaren drove this to victory in the 1967 Can-Am championship.

John Minett is Nichols Cars’ co-founder and CEO, and a veteran PR and commercial leader in the automotive and motorsport industries, including at Lamborghini and Super Aguri F1. ‘A lot of what ended up in Formula One [in the late 1960s and 1970s] started life in Can-Am,’ explains the 71-year-old Brit. ‘But as well as that, we wanted to get back to that era where things were designed to look beautiful. People didn’t really appreciate that it didn’t just go clean through the air, its flowing shape helped to push it down onto the track. I’d seen a car called the Ferrari P4/5, a one-off Pininfarina project based on an Enzo [commissioned in 2006 by the film director and financier James Glickenhaus]. It was a thoroughly modern car, but it was a nod to the 1967 Ferrari 330 P4. I thought it was a really successful update of 1960s styling themes. I’d always liked the McLaren M1A visually, and I thought that could lend itself to something similar. You can show it to someone who knows the era, someone of a certain age, and they’ll see a Can-Am car, but you can also show it to someone in their twenties and they’ll see a modern supercar. I’ve been asked on several occasions “is it a Pagani?” I couldn’t be happier with those two different reactions.’

‘Initially we intended it as a prototype,’ says Steve, ‘but time and registered interest has meant pursuing it with the aim to turn it into a beautifully finished vehicle worthy of my design philosophy.’ Nichols says a maximum of 150 cars will be built, though I expect the total number will be lower.

Starting at £500,000 (plus taxes) and being too impractical for the school and Sainsbury’s run, it’ll have an intrinsically exclusive clientele. I expect them to be older committed petrolheads, some hailing from Europe but mostly from the States. They’ll have at least another ten cars in the garage, including a McLaren no doubt. The N1A is what they’ll take out for visits to megabucks private members’ tracks such as Thermal in California, Concours Club in Miami and Ascari in Rhonda, Spain. The convenience of the N1A is you can drive it to the track, no trailer necessary.

So far three cars have been built: a dark blue prototype which has been destroyed, the light blue prototype seen here, which Wallpaper* has test driven, and a red car with white stripes that represents the first customer car. But there are more orders in the book. The tight-knit Nichols team of ten is almost exclusively comprised of ex-F1 people, mostly from McLaren. Among their number is Senna’s mechanic from his Lotus days, Mark Hannawin.

The studio is in Hampshire, but production itself is outsourced to Ray Mallock’s RML Group in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, which has built road and racing cars for Aston Martin, Nissan, Chevrolet, Bentley, McLaren Automotive and Saleen. And there’s been additional input from others in Nichols Cars’ extensive black book, like Dick Langford who worked on the Cosworth DFV when that ruled F1, turning his attention to the N1A’s LS7-based ‘smallblock’, Bob Mustard who was responsible for some of Lotus’s best chassis, and Ben Wood who was chief aerodynamicist for the Mercedes F1 team. This whole project is like The Expendables for pensionable engineers living in the UK’s motorsport valley. It’s an incredible talent pool.

The first 15 customer cars that Nichols is releasing will be labelled ‘Icon 88’ editions, complete with a plaque celebrating one of each of the MP4/4’s 1988 wins. Wallpaper*’s car, the prototype, gets the unofficial 16th plaque commemorating McLaren’s double DNF at that year’s Italian grand Prix. Unlucky for Alain and Ayrton, not so unlucky for me.

Size-wise, it’s similar to a Lotus Elise, but inside it’s even more spartan. Sitting in the N1A is an extreme feeling before you’ve even pressed the starter button. Your view of the road is incredibly low, just above the tips of your feet. The moulded Perspex windscreen is in the business of diverting air more than actually shielding you. The tiny seats are raked so far back that factor 50 is definitely necessary for the forehead. Having a passenger is a squeeze. This is a car you really want to drive alone so you can get your elbows out.

The aluminium open-gate six-speed transmission, adopted from the Audi R8 V10, is located door side, so on the right on this right-hand-drive car. It’s just like a Senna-era single-seater. The car’s wide pontoons and scalloped doors mean changing gear is actually very ergonomic, and the lozenge-like knob itself is inspired by something one of the Nichols lads found in a toolbox. ‘Oh look, it’s the gear knob Senna won the 1989 Monaco Grand Prix with. Might as well use it.’

One should ease oneself into a car like this, in terms of pedal action. Get a feel for the grunt and the carbon-ceramic brakes and the way it steers. In standard mode, power is restricted to 450bhp. Once you’re comfortable, press the button marked ‘11’. Presumably Steve and John are Spinal Tap fans. This unleashes all 705bhp and you’ll never want to go back to the standard mode again.

Although the experience of driving this car is as raw as freshly slaughtered bavette, it’s actually pretty easy to lean on. It’s planted and it doesn’t snap. It rewards the driver by boosting one’s confidence. No need to feel intimidated so long as you respect it. It’ll growl, but it won’t bite. Once you start to push the car, it becomes addictive. I drove it across the Pyrenees into Andorra. Then I got up very early and ragged it up a mountain at sunrise before the traffic came crawling out. It’s one of the most satisfying experiences I’ve ever had on the road. Mash the throttle, get the revs above 4,000rpm and it comes alive like nothing with a licence plate should.

The soundtrack is Michigan-made drum and bass played by trumpets and throttle bodies. When the rhythm section kicks in, it sounds like God gargling Listerine. It makes a clacking roar; like dominoes the size of Stonehenge’s stones falling, hundreds of them, or the cacophony the Royal Marines band might make inside CERN’s large hadron collider: A brassy amplified apocalypse. There are no official acceleration figures, but 60mph arrives in about three seconds and it just goes on and on to the point I could no longer see because my glasses were vibrating too much on the bridge of my nose.

Most modern sports cars are like riding in a fast elevator. You whoosh up half a dozen floors a second without feeling like you’ve moved. The N1A is like abseiling back down again, and the building is on fire and filled with Iranian terrorists. It could be dangerous, but it’s very, very exciting. Double wishbone suspension on each corner with four-way adjustable Quantum dampers soaks up the undulating road. The car’s fluidity is a testament to its top-class engineering. The steering is heavy, but the whole experience is so composed that you could quite happily pound away at the N1A all day without ever tiring.

Never before has analogue motoring been more appealing, given that blue-chip manufacturers are hell bent on selling us cars designed to mollycoddle, restrict and anaesthetise. The N1A is all about emotion and freedom. It’s wild, in the same way wild salmon is far superior to farmed. It provides a serotonin rush that should probably require a prescription. To some, half a million quid is a better workaround. The engineering Expendables have created a wonder drug. If you could drive this car every weekend, you’d be a happier person.

Nichols-Cars.com, @NicholsCarLtd

At the end of Anthony Vaccarello’s latest runway show for Saint Laurent, held as part of Paris Fashion Week earlier this month, the Belgian designer handed a set of keys to his son Luca after his finale bow. The gesture all but confirmed the rumours that had been swirling for some time among fashion insiders, that Vaccarello was leaving the Parisian house after a transformative ten-year tenure.

This morning, after previously having denied the rumour, Saint Laurent has confirmed that Vaccarello has stepped down from his position as creative director of the house’s mens- and womenswear lines. His final collection, presented under three enormous chandeliers in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, would prove a fitting swansong: the show reimagined Yves Saint Laurent’s hallmarks – among them the trench, the safari jacket, brocade tailoring and ruffled blouses – in gleaming shades of gold.

Anthony Vaccarello is leaving Saint Laurent

A statement from the house said that Vaccarello ‘played a key role in Saint Laurent’s development, helping to strengthen its identity and influence across the worlds of fashion and culture’.

Indeed, over the past decade Vaccarello – who came to the house having run his own eponymous label, and also created collections for Versus Versace, the Italian house’s diffusion line – has honed a precise vision for Saint Laurent, one rooted in a mood of nocturnal glamour and powerful femininity synonymous with house founder Yves Saint Laurent. He has often done so through repetition: his collections for both the house’s mens- and womenswear lines saw him repeat a silhouette – often power-shouldered and cut with absolute precision – until it became a definitive Saint Laurent look.

But Vaccarello also transformed the house into a cultural behemoth. His runway shows were cinematic in scope, from those which ended each season with the Eiffel Tower’s glittering light show (his womenswear collections largely took place in the open air at Paris’ Place du Trocadéro) to menswear collections shown around the world, from a Malibu beach to the Moroccan desert, the latter backdropped by a futuristic glowing ring by Wallpaper* October 2026 guest editor Es Devlin.

He would also establish Saint Laurent Productions, marking the first time a fashion house had served as a film production agency. Films produced and financed by Saint Laurent Productions included the Oscar-winning Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard, Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother and David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds.

His time at the house has also been defined by critical and commercial success: he won the 2026 International Designer of the Year at the CFDA Awards, and tripled the house’s revenues to over €3 billion. Recent years have been more difficult at the house – part of a wider luxury slowdown – with revenues falling in 2025 by six per cent.

‘I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Anthony for his contribution to Saint Laurent over the past ten years,’ says Luca de Meo, CEO of Kering, the luxury goods conglomerate that owns the house. ‘Through his creative vision and exacting standards, he has contributed to strengthening the enduring influence of one of France’s greatest couture houses, as we embark on a new chapter in its history.’

Vaccarello himself is yet to issue a personal statement, though he has previously called Saint Laurent ‘the holy grail of fashion houses’. There have been no indications of his next move.

Meanwhile, at Saint Laurent, it has been speculated that Chemena Kamali, creative director of Chloé, will succeed Vaccarello. If so, it will be something of a homecoming: the German fashion designer previously worked as ready-to-wear design director at the house from 2016 to 2023.

Southeast China's newest attraction, the Shenzhen Natural History Museum, lies elegantly nestled among leafy mounds and winding pathways. The building is a mesmerising volume that appears to gently undulate in the breeze in its green park on the southern edge of the Pearl River Delta.

The design, created by the 3XN–B+H Architects–Zhubo Design Consortium (a group with Danish studio 3XN as lead designer and B+H Architects serving as lead consultant, executive architect, and landscape architect), was crafted to reflect just that - the region's rich biodiversity, making its striking figure as much of an attraction as its expansive, 100,000 square metres of exhibition and other visitor spaces.

This part of the world, known as China's Pingshan District, features a subtropical monsoon climate. This produces a layered environment where nature thrives, and, especially given its subject matter, the design tapped into exactly this wealth to define the museum's final form.

'Nothing in nature is square. Nature is amorphous, dynamic, and always in formation. From the beginning, the ambition was to create not a building, but a piece of landscape that had always been there - shaped by local geology, water and time. That idea has been carried all the way from the competition stage to the museum that stands there today, a place where the story of our planet is experienced as a physical journey through terrain, light and space,' says Kim Herforth Nielsen, founder, senior partner and creative director at 3XN.

The design addresses the museum as a destination and space for exhibits, but also as a significant civic landscape, 'shaped by the same forces of erosion that define the site’s two ecological systems,' the Yanzi Hill and the Pingshan River. Beyond the important conceptual grounding of the scheme, this also translates into physical space: the museum's entire roof is accessible as a public park and free for visitors to stroll in and enjoy.

Meanwhile, the curvy façade, clad in granite and lamella shingle-like elements, was chosen to resemble the appearance of a cliff, emerging from the water underneath this walkable rooftop park. Up there, five thematic zones span a variety of plant species, some rare and many native, tropical planting from the broader region, and species specifically featured in Chinese literature.

Parametric architectural programmes and advanced digital models checked against on-site scans for coordination with the existing topography were essential in developing this forward-thinking, complex design. This blend of technology and nature that the museum's process and final form represent also reflects Shenzhen's own journey - a city that experienced tremendous growth into becoming China's tech capital. It is now again evolving with projects such as this, shifting towards culture and nature.

'Shenzhen is one of the world’s most dynamic urban centres, but it is also a city of exceptional ecological richness, shaped by its mangroves, wetlands, mountains and coastal habitats. Shenzhen Natural History Museum responds to that dual character. Our role was to carry that ambition through from concept to delivery, ensuring that the museum’s flowing form, roofscape and public spaces make the city’s relationship with nature visible at every scale,' says David Stavros, senior design principal and former executive vice president for Asia at B+H Architects.

Wing Cen Yingyin, senior Landscape Designer at B+H Architects adds: 'Shenzhen is often understood through the speed of its urban growth, but its natural history is equally compelling. It is a city where mountains, rivers, wetlands and the South China Sea exist in close proximity to one of the world’s most dynamic urban environments. This is an important story to tell and from the beginning, we wanted the landscape to become part of the experience of the museum itself.'

'The roof park, arrival spaces and routes to the wetland extend the visitor journey beyond the galleries, inviting people to encounter planting, water, views and changing seasons as part of the museum’s story of nature.'

3xn.com

Victoria Beckham has added another string to her bow. The fashion designer, founder of the eponymous fashion label and beauty brand, has now ventured into the world of homeware, unveiling her debut collection with Westwing (which will be available to purchase from 12 October).

Discover Victoria Beckham's debut homeware collection

Like her runway designs, the collection is minimal and chic, featuring tableware, textiles, and decorative objects. Beckham was inspired by the idea of designing ‘fashion for the table ’ and creating a striking tablescape that balances elegance with informal dining.

The collection aims to elevate everyday gatherings. ‘Home is where some of life's most meaningful moments happen, and this collaboration felt like a natural way to explore that world through the same lens of design, craftsmanship, and attention to detail that defines everything we do as a brand,’ says Beckham.

The Arts and Crafts movement in 19th century Britain inspired the designs. Silver, deep green and whites define the palette, while hammered finishes and simple silhouettes bring the collection together. Beckham also wanted to include elements of her ready-to-wear and accessories collections; eagle-eyed users may spot chain motifs and shell detailing on the pieces that channel the runway.

For German homeware brand Westwing, the collaboration continues to expand its presence in the UK after the launch of its business in the country earlier this year.

‘Partnering with Victoria Beckham is a defining moment for Westwing,' says CEO Andreas Hoerning. 'Her unmistakable aesthetic has shaped contemporary fashion for years, and we are proud to bring that same vision into the world of Beautiful Living. This Collection creates a natural dialogue between fashion and interiors, offering design lovers a new way to express their personal style at home’

The Westwing | Victoria Beckham Collection will be available exclusively at Westwing from 12 October 2026 online and in all Westwing stores westwing.co.uk

One of Lyn Harris’s most distinctive qualities as a perfumer is her ability to transform some of the most mundane aspects of everyday life – salt, ink, steam – into convention-defining scents that express her unique sensibility as a nose.

Her new fragrance, Clay, sees Harris draw inspiration from the most fundamental aspect of everyday life, yet to create what she calls her 'translation of the earth.' At its heart is a baked clay accord she developed as the olfactory embodiment of the material’s transformation from malleable substance to a permanent work of art--notes of sandalwood evoke the creaminess of soft clay, while ambroxan provides a touch of minerality; maltol adds a toasted quality that amplifies the impression of clay being fired, while orange flower threads throughout to create a subtle brightness.

To complement the launch, Harris collaborated with Aaron Angell, founder of the London ceramics studio Troy Town, to create ceramic versions of Perfumer H’s signature bottles, which will be displayed in Perfumer H stores alongside a select number of other ceramic pieces from Angell’s studio.

Working with Angell felt like a natural choice for Harris, who has long used Perfumer H as a platform to celebrate the work of other artists. ‘Troy Town and Aaron are completely unique and born out of Aaron’s love of old whimsical Victorian ceramics fused with his love of traditional Japanese Oribe ceramics and how he adapts this methodology to his work,’ says Harris. ‘ I just fell in love with this unconventional way of thinking and totally love his ideas behind each piece.’

Harris’s collaboration follows similar partnerships she’s done with Studio Nicholson (creating the Soap fragrance alongside a small apparel capsule by Nicholson), Will Calver (who created paintings inspired by Harris’s Rose with Insect perfume), and Michael Ruh (who hand-blows glass vessels for some of the brand’s fragrances), among many others.

Harris's collaborative process with each artist is different. 'I work to the temperament and rhythm of each artist,’ she says. ‘With Aaron, I gave him the bottle and a sample of the fragrance and gave him free rein to translate as he saw fit.'

'Then 3 months later I got these incredible pieces that just blew me away. He told me the clay he used was created with feldspar to give it texture, and then he dipped the glaze with pine needle ash before firing to, as Aaron says, create colours with this peacock effect, creating something which is unique to Troy Town.'

A glass artist and material researcher, Lulu Harrison works at the cusp of historical and contemporary glassmaking. A self-taught glass artist ’specialising in glass alchemy’, she is inspired by primitive forms and techniques, which she develops through a practice aimed at working with local and waste materials.

The designer has now been announced as the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust and Sanderson's Rising Star Craft Award, for which she will receive a £25,000 bursary in support of her practice's future development. The award is part of the British company's commitment to supporting a new generation of creative craftspeople, and a speculative look at how innovative artisanal approaches can help move the industry forward.

'What distinguished Lulu Harrison was not only the quality of her craftsmanship, but the strength of her vision for the future of glassmaking and her commitment to ensuring this remarkable artistry continues to evolve and thrive,' says Sanderson Design Group CEO and QUEST chair Lisa Montague, who led a jury including journalist Debika Ray and Wallpaper* design critic Hugo Macdonald.

Now based in Oxfordshire, Harrison first approached glass while studying for an MA in Materials Futures at Central Saint Martins, from which she graduated in 2022. 'Having previously lived in Cornwall, I already had links with local fishermen and was particularly interested in working with waste from the fishing industry,' she says. That kickstarted a process of discovery that led her to learning about traditional practices that employ limestone from local shells as the main ingredient for her exploration of glassmaking.

'Her work demonstrates a compelling harmony between traditional making techniques and emerging technologies, creating new ways for craft to be communicated, understood, and embraced by future generations,' continues Montague. 'Through her innovative approach, alongside her commitment to research, sustainability, and the preservation of specialist skills, she embodies the spirit of innovation that has always driven great craft forward. This builds a bridge between heritage and progress that will inspire the next generation of makers.'

An abandoned theatre building in a historic Florentine district provided the raw material for this spectacular architect's home, a conversion now on the market through Savills for the first time since its completion. Discovered by architect Stefano Tozzi of AE5 Partners in 2015, the space was once the fly loft of a 19th-century theatre in Santo Spirito, retaining the original monumental masonry walls – as well as a spectacular brick arch – and some architectural elements that date back even earlier.

Explore this architect's home, now on the market

After acquiring the space, Tozzi undertook the long process of converting it into his own home. According to the agents, Savills, he was originally searching for a property with a city view, but his estate agent was insistent that he give this primarily top-lit space a look. Over a period of six years, Tozzi transformed the interior into a richly theatrical space, playing with the original form language, whilst also extending the sense of scale and drama.

After a spell of living there with his family, the yearning for a view has become too much, so the Fly Loft is on the open market for the first time. First impressions of the space are dominated by the impressive 13m height, with the central living area set beneath the brick arch, which in turn is mirrored by a ribbed timber form that serves as a divider on the lower level.

The new residence is arranged across three levels, with bedrooms and bathrooms given lofty perches high up in the eaves, and the kitchen and living area on the lowest. The central level houses a suspended glass-bottomed swimming pool, which allows light to filter down from the roof lights to the lower level.

No expense was spared on the materials and finishes. The three levels are connected by a winding teak staircase, which reaches through the original arch and its wooden counterpart to create dramatic, Piranesian imagery. Elsewhere you’ll find walnut, Calacatta marble and translucent polycarbonate panels that further filter the light and shadow.

The lower-level kitchen adjoins a dining niche, separated by freestanding custom cabinets. The primary bedroom suite not only has direct access to the pool but also its own private fitness area with a Turkish bath, while a vertical garden installation sees greenery cascade down the interior. In addition to guest rooms, there is also an independent annexe and a private parking garage, as well as a modest urban patio. A bar and cinema lounge are also located on the uppermost floor.

In all, the residence offers 600 sqm of accommodation, all meticulously finished and tucked away in one of the city’s most desirable areas.

Theatre conversion by Stefano Tozzi, Santo Spirito, Florence, Italy, €13.5m, Savills.com

The Newt is a luxurious country house hotel in Somerset, England, set on a 3,000-acre estate that also operates as a working farm, with beautiful grounds, including an apple-tree maze, woodlands and orchards. Its collaborative partners include major names such as Burberry (which staged a takeover in 2025), high-end gardening tool brand Niwaki, and Claridge’s hotel.

Discover the Newt’s first advent calendar

History, beauty, and nature come together at The Newt, and now they're wrapped up in a delicious-looking 25-day advent calendar, a first for the estate. It is inspired by Hadspen House, the hotel’s 12-room guest house, built in the 17th century and later remodelled in the Georgian period.

Festive illustrations decorate the advent calendar’s exterior, and the tucked-away gifts vary from pantry delights to kitchen tools. Among the indulgences, you’ll find gingerbread spread, garden piccalilli, Babylonstoren Blend olive oil, and sage hand cream. Behind the final window, there’s something very special: a garden membership offering access to the estate and renowned partner gardens for a year.

The full line-up:

• The Feast Mini Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle (Exclusive to advent calendar)
• Gingerbread Spread 210g
• Apple Gin 20cl
• 1847 Sage Hand Cream 75ml
• Double Cheese Sable Biscuits 80g
• Decorations inspired by the garden
• Somerset Soft Set Honey 227g
• Estate Print Tea Towel
• Milk Chocolate & Sea Salt Caramel Buttons 140g
• 3 x Newt Chocolate Bars
• 3 x Newt Seeds
• Robin Notecards
• Babylonstoren Macadamia Nut Tin 150g
• Emily The Cow Iced Ginger Biscuit 50g
• Brandy Butter 210g
• Garden Piccalilli 198g
• Mulled Spices Bag 25g
• Somerset Butter Fudge 150g
• 2 x Newt Cordials
• Organic English Breakfast Tea 45g
• Somerset Cyder Fruit Chutney 198g
• Babylonstoren Extra Virgin Olive Oil Blend 500ml
• Old English Mints In Sweet Tin 120g
• The Newt Corkscrew
• 12-month Newt Garden Membership

The Newt Advent Calendar, £250, is available from its online shop as well as The Newt Farm Shop on the estate and The Creamery at Castle Cary station.

Grown up tech is becoming more infantalised, thanks to AI's ability to transcend traditional skill sets. For example, Meta’s decision to imbue the design and delivery of its new Muse Charm pocket AI device with child-friendly avatars is an 'interesting' decision at a time when tech’s relationship with childhood is under more scrutiny than ever before.

Should kids get ahead with tech or should the online world be off limits until they’re able to better process the pitfalls and dark alleys of the digital world? These gadgets want to serve as introductions and solutions to complex modern problems.

YAPA Phone

The new YAPA phone solves the screen time argument by doing away with the seductive charms of an OLED display and stepping back in time to something a little more fundamental. Described as the ‘UK’s first home phone designed for kids,’ YAPA is pitched at 5-14 year olds and intended solely as a way to connect with friends without opening up the realm of social media.

Designed by product design consultancy Aetha, the YAPA’s aesthetic is certainly designed to tickle the nostalgia buds of parents, with its chunky keys, bold colours and traditional coiled cord. It’s toy-like, yet fully functional, thanks to a WiFi-driven operating system that puts parents in control (via an app), allowing contacts and call time to be monitored.

According to Aetha’s Tom Parsons, YAPA is ‘built around what children actually need to communicate with family and friends, and what a parent needs to trust a device. We didn't want to make another toy, or a scaled-down smartphone, we wanted an object with real material quality, that a child is proud of, happy to see on the kitchen counter and excited to tell their friends they use.’

YAPA Phone, pre-sale orders from £99.99 via YapaClub.com, @YAPA.Phone

AethaDesign.com, @Aetha.Design

Nex Playground

Already a trusted brand in this space, the Playground games console from Nex has been around for a few years, allowing its eco-system to grow and evolve. An ultra-compact device with a playful, pastel-coded form factor, the little console has a focus on activity, collaboration and co-operation.

Nex arrives with five games, while a Play Pass subscription unlocks over seventy more, with constant updates over the year. The primary means of interaction is via a motion sensor on the box, one which makes dynamic action games the focus, for both one and two players.

Slice through citrus cascades with the evergreen Fruit Ninja, play a variety of sports from basketball to archery, dance, keep fit and engage with licensed content from the likes of Barbie, Sesame Street and Dreamworks.

It’s an intuitive set-up, similar in spirit to the old Kinect system for the Xbox and even Sky Glass’s Sky Live system (both now discontinued). Bright, colourful graphics and smooth animations naturally draw in young eyes, while the system also has an integral camera cover and only keeps motion-tracking data on the device.

Nex Playground, £215, One-year Play Pass, £90, NexPlayground.com, @NexPlayground

Yoto Player

A tried and tested child-friendly device with legions of happy users, the Yoto Player was recently given a substantial design update. The classic Yoto Player and the compact Yoto Mini are a gateway to audio stories, daily podcasts and classic books, with a chunky, easy-to-manage form factor and an ultra-simple interface designed for engagement not obsession.

Yoto Player 4th Gen, £119.99, UK.YotoPlay.com, Yoto Mini 4th Gen, £89.99, UK.YotoPlay.com, @YotoPlay

Karri Messenger 2

Another entrant into the safe communications category, the Karri Messenger 2 is a modern update of the traditional walkie-talkie. The latter was a much-coveted gadget for younger Gen Xers, even if very few children actually had access to real, functional units. The Messenger 2 doesn’t actually enable real-time talk but serves instead as a voice messaging service with a rudimentary screen for accessing the (parentally approved) contact list.

The company suggests the device is best used as a way of keeping in touch with your kid, including a GPS tracker and SOS alerts in the limited function set. There’s also a helpful torch, splash and drop resistance and two days of battery life. You can of course leave a message with another Karri, but most adult interaction will be through the app. A subscription service is required to enable mobile network access, although the compact, colourful device also works on WiFi.

Karri Messenger 2, £89.99, Karri.io, @Karri_io

Polaroid Go (Gen 3)

A firm favourite amongst adults and children alike, Polaroid’s smallest instant camera, the Go, is well suited to small hands. Colourful, creative, and compact, the third generation of the Go uses Polaroid’s Go film to produce dainty, pocketable pictures. A powerful flash and inbuilt ‘selfie mirror’ add to the Go’s charms.

Polaroid Go Instant Camera Generation 3, £79.99, Polaroid.com, @Polaroid

Loog Piano

Loog specialises in making small guitars for small hands, teaming up with established brands like Fender and Gibson to shrink familiar instruments down to a more wieldable size. The new Loog Piano follows the same playbook, shrinking the size but not the capability. In addition to pro-grade piano sounds, there are velocity sensitive keys, in-built speakers and battery and an accompanying learning app.

On top of all this, the Loog Piano offers MIDI over USB, so it can be used as controller, further adding to the longevity and practicality of an instrument that’ll grow with your child.

Loog Piano, €269, LoogGuitars.com, @LoogGuitars

Freckle Phone

Designed to evoke the spirit of an old-school walkie-talkie, with parental safeguards baked in, the upcoming Freckle phone wants kids to have their cake and eat it – wandering off into the wilderness yet also discretely tracked every step of the way. The company’s own ClayOS is underpinned by the inevitable AI; as well as allowing parents to set challenges and treasure hunts it also provides AI-driven explications and descriptions.

The Freckle Phone also highlights the inherent contradictions involved in child-specific technology. In the quest to go back to an untrammelled, open world childhood, gadgets like this inadvertently introduce a layer of AI and tech dependence that feels contrary to the lost authenticity and simplicity.

Freckle Phone, pre-order details at Freckle.tech, @Frecklehq

Swiss recycling specialists Freitag is ushering in a new direction with a revitalised ‘Reference’ collection. Founded in 1993, the Zurich-based company established itself as a pioneer of the circular economy, transforming heavy duty truck tarpaulins into a wide range of hard-wearing bags and accessories, emphasising the unique, one-off nature of every product and earning itself a cult reputation in the process.

The first batch of ‘Reference’ bags was launched in 2009, but the new collection takes upcycling to new levels. Four new bags feature a more refined cut, as well as careful and more delicate detailing.

Overseen by product design Anne Bachmann, the four bags still use truck tarps, but with a much keener eye for uniformity of colour and texture. Still unique, yet more minimal than before, the aim was to elevate the humble raw material through design and craft.

Bachmann has worked for Freitag for 16 years. ‘Used tarpaulins have no reason to hide their stories,’ she says. ‘Each one of them has a raw elegance of its own. And ‘Reference’ puts that firmly at the centre.’ Launching the new collection in a refined palette of whites, silvers, reds and blues (‘in the most beautiful nuances the transit routes have to offer’), other colours will arrive in due course.

The four initial ‘Reference’ bags comprise the compact crossbody R201 ELLY, the classically styled R202 BATES purse, the R203 MAZIE giant tote and the R204 NAN shoulder bag. All are made by hand, with prominent edge seams and interior linings made from recycled polyester. The bags also include their own repair kit featuring the essential components – a tarp pouch, lining and thread – to repair any damage in keeping with the unique colour and patina of the original.

‘Every time I walk through our factory, I realise that beauty happens where it isn't trying to,’ Bachman says, explaining one of the key sources of inspiration behind the collection. The original model for the heavy-duty branded magnetic clasp was an adjustment hook for industrial shelving, found on one of her reference expeditions.

Of the new collection, R201 ELLY has a capacity of 1.5 litres and has an adjustable shoulder strap and a zippered inner compartment. R202 BATES has a volume of 8-12l, with inner pockets designed for an A6 notebook as well as a zippered section and enough space for a 13-inch laptop. The larger R203 MAZIE will take 26-40 litres of stuff, with an additional detachable 0.4 litre mini pouch, while the R204 NAN is a baguette bag with 4 litres of carrying capacity.

‘“Reference” is attitude in the shape of a bag,’ says Freitag’s CEO Janine Bühler. ‘The act of choosing one of these unique pieces is a statement in itself: it stands for resource-conscious material choices, for timeless elegance, and for rejecting the throwaway culture… [“Reference” features] forward-thinking design, meticulous finishing, and repairability, enabling a long, intensive bag life – fully in line with the circular economy.’

Freitage ‘Reference’ collection
R201 ELLY, EUR 360 / GBP 325 / USD 460 plus local taxes
R202 BATES, EUR 520 / GBP 470 / USD 660 plus local taxes
R203 MAZIE, EUR 490 / GBP 440 / USD 620 plus local taxes
R204 NAN, EUR 420 / GBP 380 / USD 530 plus local taxes
All available from Freitag.ch, @Freitaglab

The Wallpaper* Art Issue is our annual celebration of art at the intersection of fashion, design and architecture. The latest iteration – our November 2026 issue – hits newsstands today, 8 October, during the busiest month in the art calendar, which kicks off this year with Tate Britain’s blockbuster exhibition, ‘The 90s: Art and Fashion’. To mark the occasion, one of its preeminent image-makers, Juergen Teller, created a very special cover for us with the show’s curator, Edward Enninful. They also got together to discuss a decade that Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson described to me in a recent conversation as foundational for art and culture in the UK today, referring to it as ‘a moment in which artists didn’t wait to be invited, converging with fashion designers and musicians to bypass conventional hierarchies between high art and popular culture’.

It’s a legacy picked up in the discussion between Enninful and Teller, both of whom started their careers experiencing first-hand the sort of enveloping freedom that powers creatives to act.

This month’s issue is hopefully suffused with a similar sense of sovereignty, whether it’s Louise Giovanelli’s beautifully rendered paintings of curtains, Adam Pendleton’s radical takeover of Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum, Joana Vasconcelos’ intervention in a BIG-designed Manhattan skyscraper apartment, or Karon Davis’ joyful reimagining of circus performers. We’re also looking forward to Frieze London – in particular, the Artist-to-Artist programme supported by Tiffany & Co, in which Yinka Shonibare invites South African artist Unathi Mkonto to join him in the spotlight – and Art Basel Paris, where Alice Diop takes up her first artist-curator role for a Miu Miu project celebrating Black female creativity. Meanwhile, Shawn Adams drops into Denmark’s Lego HQ to explore its collaboration with graffiti artist Futura.

Elsewhere, we check out the striking new London flagship store of Palace Skateboards; visit the New York home and studio of the late June Leaf, a haven of creativity that she shared with her husband, photographer Robert Frank, until his death in 2019; admire a Shaker-inspired rail hanging system devised by LA design studio Joshi Greene to lighten and brighten their own space; join Jeff Koons as he works with Hublot on a vivid interpretation of his own balloon pieces in watch form; and marvel at the remaining examples of Belgian modernism, where artistry and architecture surprise and entertain in equal measure. We trust this edition achieves the same. Thank you for reading. Enjoy the issue.

Bill Prince
Editor-in-Chief

Wallpaper’s November 2026 Art Issue is available from 8 October, in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Located in Henley-on-Thames, Friar Park has a mysterious energy. Fans of The Beatles may know it as the home of the late George Harrison, where he and his family resided. Harrison purchased the Victorian neo-Gothic estate in 1970, when it was overgrown and needed some serious care. It is now managed by his family, who helped to maintain the private land. His son, Dhani Harrison – also a musician and co-head of Dark Horse Records– worked with Niwaki on the collaboration.

Perfectly pruned, yet outrageously wild, the gardens are managed to the highest order, not for anyone to see, but for the joy of gardening. It is no surprise that premium gardening tool and accessories brand Niwaki decided to partner with Dhani, who helps to maintain its legacy.

Discover the Niwaki x Friar Park collaboration

‘It's a very well-known, but completely unseen garden,’ explains Jake Hobson, founder of Niwaki. ‘Everyone's heard about it: it's got this incredible topiary garden, which is very English, with a baroque intensity. But then it's got this very beautiful Japanese garden a few minutes away from it. It's that contrast between the two that makes the place so special.’

Hobson became close with Dhani after the latter consistently frequented the brand’s London, Chiltern Street store. ‘We had a shared – passion isn't the right word – I think obsession with Japan, with gardens, and with the pleasure of being involved in gardens, working in gardens, living with gardens, and seeing gardens. The collaboration is kind of a fusion of Japan and England, which made perfect sense,’ Hobson tells Wallpaper* over a call on a hazy autumnal morning.

Dhani agrees. ‘I am extremely addicted to the Niwaki brand,’ he shares. ‘I use it because I’m a maker and I like to build – I don’t just use the topiary tools, but the chisels, the wood planes, the whittling knives, the axes, ladders, gaiters, tabi boots: you name it, I use it. Because I spent so much time in the store, I eventually became friends with the team there, and Jake and I started talking, and it turns out we got on very well, and that’s how the whole thing came about, from a friendship.’

The collection includes a Meditation Jacket, inspired by Niwaki’s Kojima Work Jacket. It features long tails and a hood, and has a cloak-like quality, and was inspired by Dhani’s love of meditating in the estate’s Japanese garden. Hoods are often used in meditation to increase inward focus and block out distractions.

Meditation is as much a part of Dhani’s life as is music, as he tells Wallpaper*: ‘I listen to the same thing over and over throughout the seasons – the same piece of flute music or the same piece of choral music. I’ll use the music as a meditation through the garden every day, whether it’s rain or shine. I think it’s important to listen to the same thing if it’s something that moves you, so you can experience the consistency of the spirit through the passing of time – it’s quite an interesting experiment. I’ve been listening a lot to Canyon Trilogy by Carlos R Nakai, which is a record we put out on vinyl for the first time this year on Dark Horse Records.’

The collaboration’s colour palette is inspired by the maroon of the Acer Palmatum tree when it turns in autumn. ‘This is such a prominent colour in Friar Park,’ says Dhani. ‘There is a week every year where it just becomes fire – you have that whole spectrum of maroon, through to fire red and yellow.’

The collection also includes a Kojima Jacket and Rucksack. There are also essential pruning tools, including Garden Shears and a Karikomi Holster, the Hori Hori Pro, Higurashi Secateurs and Moku Pruning Saw, in Japanese carbon steel. Keen gardeners wishing to purchase the full collection can also opt for the Friar Park x Niwaki Collector's Edition, a gift set that brings all these tools together, plus a Cap, Lunch Bag and an exclusive George Harrison vinyl.

‘Japanese design is, for want of a better word, perfect’, says Dhani. ‘Jake said to me that all of these products come from individual Japanese artisans, and chances are there are only two people working at these companies, like a father and son, who have been doing it for generations, and that’s the one thing they focus on, so the skill level is very high. It’s almost too hard to explain, but Japan, as a concept, is probably the most inspirational thing in my life. If I had to [put it in] one word, it’s the mindfulness.’

While Dhani may describe Japanese design as ‘perfect’, can a garden ever be? Hobson notes, ‘There was a joke in English society gardening, that the three things you need are the three M's (money, muck, and muscle), to make a perfect garden. I don't think any of that counts. It's the passion and the personality of the person involved with the garden. A garden is never finished, and that's how a garden can live through generations.’

The Friar Park x Niwaki collection is available in limited quantities from Niwaki Chiltern Street, London; Niwaki HQ in Semley, Dorset; and niwaki.com from 12 October 2026

Audio-Technica’s turntable range runs the gamut from portable and playful through to heavyweight audiophile machines like the fully manual AT-LPA2.

This one, however, sits firmly in the middle. A new edition of the popular AT-LP60XBT fully automatic wireless belt-drive turntable offered in a vibrant shade of teal, Audio-Technica is part of an emerging trend in audio design to avoid the sober whites, blacks, greys and silvers that still dominate the sector.

The AT-LP60XBT is a fine initiation the vinyl novice. In addition to conventional wired speaker connectivity, it’s from the new breed of turntables that offer hi-fidelity audio over Bluetooth, allowing you to pipe vinyl into a portable speaker or headphones. It’s the kind of convenience that – paradoxically – is prized by the very people seeking out vinyl for its historic, analogue and frictive qualities.

Aside from the vivid hue, everything else is pretty much as you’d expect – twin speeds for singles and LPs, a belt-drive motor and Audio-Technica's own integral Dual Moving Magnet cartridge. It might not offer the most acoustically accurate listening experience, but for a colourful start to a vinyl journey, the AT-LP60XBTTL deserves serious consideration.

Audio Technica can date its history back to 1962 in Japan, when the company was established by Hideo Matsushita, an employee at Tokyo’s Bridgestone Museum of Art. Today the company combines a burgeoning range of affordable and high-end home audio with PA and broadcast systems designed for commercial applications.

Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBTTL, £179 / €199, Audio-Technica.com, @AudioTechnicaEMEA

Hyundai’s Ionic 3 electric car is a keenly priced compact hatchback that’s strong on design and engineering. Its ‘aero hatch’ shape boasts the lowest drag coefficient in its class, helping it achieve up to 308 miles on a single charge. It looks, particularly at the rear, like a chamfered and lowered Range Rover Evoque. The marketing people at JLR would have us believe that the Evoque was partly designed by Victoria Beckham. The Ioniq 3 is sharper and more streetwise; like VB swapped the Spice Girls for Bikini Kill.

At the front, its slim horizontal lights emphasise the car’s wide stance and are the current Hyundai signature. A more clandestine clue as to the car’s identity can be found in the four illuminated pixels on its nose. Dot, dot, dot, dot – that’s morse code for the letter H, signifying this might not be a car at all but a submarine in search of an opioid fix.

Hyundai labels its design language the ‘Art of Steel’. It’s inspired by the raw tension and purity found in steel production, reducing surfaces to very deliberate volumes that create visual impact. Each shape mirrors how metal naturally bends. Three different ‘sheets’ intersect to create characterful feature lines, while a single continuous surface extends from the C-pillar to reinforce a message of strength and precision.

The wheels are designed to aid this slippery 0.263cd object in slicing through the air like a samurai sword though mayonnaise. But despite the aero obsession, it’s plenty spacious inside. Thanks to the cab-forward design and flat floor, there’s legroom for three adults in the back, although the tapering roof line means they’ll need to leave their Homburgs at home. The cabin has lots of cubby holes and shelves, making it more accommodating than most studio flats, and the light colour palette results in an airy environment with a Nintendo vibe.

Thanks to Hyundai’s new Pleos operating system, connectivity is hyper-fast and the UX system is intuitive. At up to 14.6 inches, it boasts the biggest screen in its B-segment class, but Hyundai has thoughtfully positioned buttons and switches so you’re not fully reliant on having to stab at the touchscreen as you’re driving, which is a common criticism of many manufacturers – especially Chinese brands and Chinese-owned Swedish ones. The Ioniq 3’s buttons are tactile, and one suspects every surface and switch has been thoroughly thought out. It’s all distinctly premium, much more so than, say, an MG, Chery, Citroën or Peugeot.

The squashed, thick-rimmed steering wheel feels nice to hold and looks like it may have been liberated from Daft Punk’s gymnasium. It has good rake and reach, and the cloth seats are supportive and slightly 1970s Italian in style (Alcantara is also available on some models) and are heated and ventilated if you go for the spec above the base model. It’s so spacious you’d swear it was actually a C-segment car, and this is reinforced by the 411-litre boot, which includes an underfloor ‘megabox’ that’ll fit 119 litres or charging cables, muddy boots and unsightly gubbins. Rearward visibility is excellent thanks to a split rear window reminiscent of that of the old Honda Insight.

Not that you really need to see where you’re going. The car’s SmartSense driver assistance system means the driver doesn’t require any cognitive functions at all to avoid an accident (personally those ruddy bongs and alerts make me want to write the car off just to put us out of our shared misery). It even has Memory Reverse Assist, so if you find yourself in a sticky situation you can’t get out of – I’m talking a dead-end around a tight curve, rather than an armed mugger or a letter from HMRC – you press a button via the touchscreen and backwards you go, autonomously, avoiding any scrapes.

The Ioniq 3 is built in Izmit, Turkey, but it was actually designed and developed in Germany and is the first Hyundai EV to have been developed principally for the European market. Built on the K3 platform that Hyundai shares with Kia, it has a 400-volt electrical architecture and uses a single electric motor on the front axle. There are two battery options, 42kWh and 61kWh. The 61kWh battery unsurprisingly enjoys longer range, a best-in-class WLTP figure of 308 miles, whereas the 42kWh car will only get you 213 miles, but that’s still not bad in comparison with its price-point competitors.

What is surprising is that the smaller battery produces more horsepower – 145bhp compared with the 61kWh unit’s 133bhp. The smaller battery allows you to hit 62mph from standstill in 8.8 seconds, while the slightly heavier and less powerful version takes 9.5 second. Or 9.6 seconds if you choose the range-topping N Line Evo version. This is supposed to be the sporty one, but the aggressive-looking diffuser, integrated spoiler and 19in wheels, which will impress young people in supermarket car parks, end up adding an extra 0.1s of drag. Both batteries yield a top speed that’s slightly over the tonne and can charge from ten to 80 per cent in half an hour.

In addition to pleasing design, state-of-the-art technology and high-quality construction, the Ioniq 3’s trump card is price. The entry-level Advance spec car with the 42kWh battery should be £22,245, but because it meets the requirements for the UK government’s Band 1 Electric Car Grant it’s actually yours for £18,495 on the road. This is also true of the long-range 61kWh car. £3,750 off across the board, meaning the top-of-the-range, kinda sexy but also pretty pointless N Line car is just £28,195.

By ponying up almost ten grand extra you will be going slower, but you’ll have more cred among teenagers in tracksuits. The Premium trim option, which is the one most UK buyers will opt for (extra kit over the entry-level car includes bigger wheels, a heat pump, forward instrument cluster, auto wipers and a wireless charger), clocks in at £23,695 post-grant. The cheapest long-range option is £21,495.

The Ioniq 3 would be the obvious choice were it not for the achingly enticing and retro-futurist Renault 5, but that’s three grand more and it won’t take you as far between charges, nor is it nearly as spacious or refined. And if you want to beat boy racers away from the traffic lights you’ll need the Abarth 600e Scorpionissima, which is nearly as fun to drive as it is to say, but at £38,375 it’s double the price of the Ioniq 3 Advance.

The Ioniq 3 is the thinking person’s choice: democratic luxury for those on a budget who value technology and design, who recognise that in the blue-chip family EV market, it’s the Koreans who are killing it right now. The Chinese aren’t having it all their own way.

Hyundai Ioniq 3, from £18,495 (with grant), Hyundai.com

Design lovers might already be familiar with the residence: Los Angeles architectural photographer Julius Shulman, famous for spreading California's midcentury architecture around the world, captured this particular unit in 1964.

Explore this Cerritos Circle property on the market

Today, the four-bedroom garden home is on the market for $1,450,000, offering the opportunity to own a piece of Long Beach’s modernist architectural history. Located on Del Mar Avenue in the Los Cerritos / Virginia Country Club neighbourhood of Long Beach, an area known for its historic homes, the property is one of the 42 post-and-beam residential units designed by Clifton Jones Jr in 1963.

Spanning 2,768 sq ft of living space, the residence is arranged over a single storey as two mirroring side-by-side apartments, each featuring two bedrooms with their own ensuite bathrooms. At the centre of each home is an open-plan kitchen. East-facing dining areas were designed to capture the morning light, while west-facing family rooms receive the afternoon sun. Lofty, 10ft ceilings, sliding doors and monumental glass walls create a sense of spaciousness throughout, with living spaces leading to an entry courtyard and a fenced patio at the back.

The Cerritos Circle was developed on land that previously belonged to the Jones family and had been used for racehorse training. Influenced by his academic background at the USC School of Architecture, where he studied under Edward Killingsworth and Calvin Straub, and inspired the Southern California’s Case Study House programme of experimental homes built between 1945 and 1966, Jones Jr was eager to put his education into practice. His transformation of the site into a residential development reflects the midcentury ambition to rethink the relationship between architecture and contemporary everyday life.

‘This particular unit is being sold by the family of the original architect and developer Clifton Jones Jr. They have held onto it as a rental property since it was built’, says Nate Cold of Modern Californian House, an estate agency dedicated to the preservation of great architecture and design. ‘The side by side units feel more like single family homes, which works well for an owner to live in one and rent the other.’

More than six decades after it was built, the simple structural forms, flexible open-plan layouts and indoor-outdoor harmony of the unit remain a compelling expression of modernist ideals – and a sought-after piece of California’s architectural heritage.

For Sale: Cerritos Circle Duplex, Clifton Jones Jr. (1963), 4175 / 4177 Del Mar Ave., Long Beach CA, $1,450,000, via Modern California House

Earlier in 2026 London-based designer Michael Anastassiades announced he was going to close his eponymous lighting brand. 'What comes next for me as a designer is a deeper focus on the creative process, and the freedom to explore new directions in design, in all its forms,' he said at the time.

The next chapter in the designer's practice has just been revealed, and it involves a partnership with long-term collaborator, Italian lighting company Flos. Several of the designer's most celebrated lighting pieces from his eponymous collection will now enter the Flos portfolio, and the company will integrate the designs into its catalogue, which will involve manufacturing and distribution.

'The inclusion of Michael Anastassiades’ heritage collection in the Flos catalogue is the natural consequence of a collaboration that began more than ten years ago and has produced beautiful projects and great successes,' said Piero Gandini, the executive chairman and artistic supervisor of the Flos B&B Italia Group. '[It’s] Michael’s completion of a collaboration aimed at future milestones.'

Over the past 15 years, the creative partnership between Anastassiades and Flos has been running in parallel with the designer's own production. His lighting work, the designer observed, started as 'an open-ended experiment [and] grew organically into a body of work that reflects a deeply personal journey'.

Meanwhile, the work he created with Flos offered a more nuanced, industrial and commercial direction to the poetry that defines his approach. Anastassiades' brilliance at illuminating a space has been reflected in his ability to transform a lighting object into a delicate gesture, made possible by a rigorous design process, and aided by sublime materiality and technology (see our video series, The Stuff That Surrounds You, for more on his experimentation and a look at the objects he most treasures).

With Flos, Anastassiades has created classic objects such as the ‘IC’ series, where an illuminated sphere balances on a brass rod, or the ‘Coordinates’ chandelier, featuring geometric compositions of lighting objects that become micro-architectures to light up a space.

'Since its start in 2011, my collaboration with Flos has become an important part of my practice as a lighting designer,' comments Anastassiades. 'Now it feels like a natural progression that the pieces I have developed under my own name over the past 20 years will continue with Flos.'

A new, interactive exhibition at MAK in Vienna encourages play beyond the Lego brick. ‘Architectural Construction Kits 1890-1990’ (until 14 March 2027), presented by Deutsches Architekturmuseum, is spread across several of MAK’s rooms, with 70 architectural construction kits formed into fully assembled models to showcase the variety of historical toys.

Discover these vintage architectural construction kits

The foundation of the exhibition is the private collection of graphic designer Claus Krieger. The kits on show, which date from 1880 to 1960, encourage exploration of materials – at play stations around the exhibition – including wood, metal, rubber, and Galalith (an early type of bio-plastic).

‘There is a whole world beyond Lego waiting to be discovered,’ says guest curator Oliver Elser. ‘In our exhibition, you can start playing spontaneously, without having to book in advance. We have eight play stations and a VR installation. You can pick up bricks that look familiar at first glance, only to realise that they are made of rubber. Can you imagine Lego made of rubber? There are so many lovely building pieces to discover that hardly anyone knows anymore. And that makes building with them quite a challenge. Everyone knows Lego, and everyone knows how to build with it. These kits are different.’

One of the main highlights is the cathedral made of 4,000 felt building blocks, on display in the MAK Columned Main Hall.

The kits seem complex and serious, which poses the question that Elser also battled with: Were they aimed at children or adults?

‘The children on the packaging often look highly concentrated – and not particularly happy. Building can be hard work! The building instructions are usually highly complex. So are these toys really for children, or were the boxes actually aimed more at adults?’ Elser muses. ‘And yet the packaging and instructions are clearly addressed to children. They are presented as little adults and encouraged to become “little builders” or “little architects”. With a few exceptions, girls appear only as bystanders. This changed only gradually from the 1960s onwards,’ he says.

‘It is remarkable how [very un-] “educational” these kits often were. Some of the pieces fit together so tightly that playing with them must have been genuinely frustrating. On the other hand, this is understandable. There were around 900 companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland alone producing this kind of construction toy. That is an incredible number. No wonder that not every product behind those boxes was a really well-functioning toy. Quite simply, these were toys that adults had devised for children, within the possibilities and limitations of what were often very small manufacturing companies.’

On this basis, Elser had to create an exhibition which made these historical kits ‘playable’. ‘Normally you are not allowed to touch things that are old, precious, and therefore kept in a museum. To reactivate the kits for our visitors, we worked closely with Professor Andreas Kretzer from Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences (HFT Stuttgart) and his students. We made replicas of three building systems. The most creative play station is called the Cathedral. We wanted at least one model to be larger than life, so we asked the students what they would build if they had an unlimited supply of building pieces. A childhood dream we all probably share. They came up with a highly sophisticated [replacement] of wooden pieces [with] a recycled material made from old PET bottles that feels almost like felt. We cut more than 4,000 pieces, and voilà: the Cathedral is 2.6m long and 3.2m high.’

The exhibition gives insight into childhood during the previous two centuries. Today, Elser wants to encourage play for all: ‘I would love our visitors to leave the exhibition with a smile on their faces. They will have had so many wonderful experiences with their own hands – at a time when museums tend to appeal primarily to our eyes and our brains. Some of these building pieces are so satisfying to play with that you might want to ask for them for Christmas, if only they weren’t out of production.’

'Architectural Construction Kits 1890-1990 Plenty to Play With!’ is on display from 7 October 2026 until 14 March 2027 at MAK(Museum für angewandte Kunst, Museum of Applied Arts), Stubenring 5 ,1010 Vienna

Set in the leafy meadows of Sun Valley, Idaho, Three Barns is a new-build home in the American wilderness – a structure designed as much to provide cosy shelter as to nod to its striking, surrounding nature. The project is the first in the state by the California-based firm Field Architecture – a studio known for its high quality, crisp family homes and retreats, such as a Big Sur house completed in 2024.

Explore Three Barns by Field Architecture

The Sun Valley house was conceived as a complex of three gabled structures – forms that nod to the region's agricultural barns – which also lends the project its name. Surrounded by windy planes and undulating mountains, the architecture was always going to be influenced by nature's movement in the area, a part of the US wilderness that never stands still.

The architects explain: 'Mountain ranges rise in four directions, grasses bend with the prevailing winds, snow gathers and recedes with the seasons, and water moves across the hillside toward the Big Wood River below. Rather than level this terrain into a platform for the house, the architecture takes its cues from the land’s existing structure.

'Natural benches become places of occupation, drainage patterns remain legible, and the native meadow continues between and around the buildings. The house emerges from this reading of the site as a collection of inhabitable terraces, each held within the larger topography of the watershed.'

Each of the three barns is rotated to respond to its terrain and, as a result, has its own specific view, relationship to the valley and quality of light. But together, the three buildings form their own little mountain range – containing discrete areas for the bedrooms; the entertaining areas with the kitchen and dining space at their heart; and the entry sequence and main living room.

Meanwhile, 'circulation becomes an encounter with the land', the architects highlight, pointing out that when residents move between the volumes, glazed breezeways mean they experience stepping out into the open air and leafy meadows.

Inside, contemporary design meets the concept's robust nature, with all mods cons making this a true, four-season alpine landscape. The Three Barns' respective three chimneys, built out of local stone, serve as marks, gently highlighting the Sun Valley home's presence.

fieldarchitecture.com

British Airways has announced a redesign of its A380 interiors and Heathrow lounges, drawing on British craftsmanship across both. Among the commissions are Swaine amenity kits containing Wildsmith products, and Studio William cutlery and wine glasses developed with Richard Brendon and Jancis Robinson, while a new lounge at Terminal 5’s C Gates will pair British-made furnishings with a 17m bar overlooking the airfield.

BA’s redesign puts British craft in first class

The first refitted A380 is expected to enter service in the coming months, with new seats in all four classes and redesigned galleys and stairways. In the 12-suite ‘First’ cabin, dividers between centre seats open to create a shared lounge, with stowable tables allowing companions to dine together. Swaine’s royal-blue and cream amenity kits take their cue from early air travellers’ suitcases, complemented by herringbone blankets and navy sleepwear featuring BA’s bespoke tartan.

Business class occupies the entire upper deck, where 106 Club Suites form what BA calls the world’s largest business-class cabin. Four zones divide the space, with communal areas and Club Kitchens. The updated suites have additional storage and a blue, red and cream palette. Elsewhere, premium economy gains privacy wings and larger screens, while economy receives wider seats and larger screens of its own.

British sourcing also informs the new lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5’s C Gates, due to open at the end of 2028. UK-sourced timber, glazing, metalwork, textiles and bespoke furnishings will furnish a space overlooking the airfield and concourse, with a 17m bar that BA expects to rank among the world’s longest in an airport lounge. Within it, a dedicated Concorde lounge for First passengers will introduce darker materials, richer textures, private concierge service and separate dining spaces.

Developing the design concept recently introduced in Miami, the project forms part of a programme to redesign every BA lounge at Heathrow. Terminal 5’s Arrivals lounge is scheduled to open by the end of 2027, with 59 shower rooms, a coffee bar and deli, and dedicated work booths. A new Concorde Arrivals area will give First passengers private cabanas and dining spaces, with glass screens providing privacy within interiors in the airline’s blue, red and cream.

Some changes will be in place well before then. A dark-red First check-in area, developed with American Airlines, opens at Terminal 3 this winter, while Swaine’s amenity kits launched on outbound First services from Heathrow on 6 October 2026. Inbound passengers will receive them over the coming months.

britishairways.com

This grand house in Ahmedabad, India, was completed by architects FLXBL, led by Cunal Parmar, with a team overseen by Arivanandh Manirathinam. Covering some 18,000 sq ft, the house has been dubbed ‘Solidus’, as well as ‘Private Residence No. 09’, in the FLXBL portfolio.

Step inside this sculptural new house in Ahmedabad

From the exterior, Solidus presents itself as an appropriately monolithic form, with shuttered concrete exterior walls that incorporate slots, openings and setbacks to shape the volumes and alignments of the interior accommodation. According to the architects, ‘the project is based on a single architectural operation: the progressive subtraction of a monolithic volume’.

As a result of this approach, the single block is struck through with different voids, from the courtyard at basement level to covered verandas on the ground floor and balconies and terraces on the two floors above. ‘The subtraction produces a sequence of edge voids, planted terraces, elevated gardens and light wells through which landscape, daylight and natural ventilation enter the built volume,’ say the FLXBL team.

Careful management of the planting brings vegetation into every level, a ‘connected landscape system across multiple levels’. The studio has taken care to stick with indigenous species and has incorporated rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling and automated drip irrigation into the design to sustain and nurture the landscaping as it matures.

Plants also play a key role in providing solar shading and creating a microclimate to mitigate Ahmedabad’s intense heat. The scheme encourages greenery to become enmeshed with the house itself, while the interior scheme also allows plenty of space for large interior plants. ‘Framed views, planted edges, shaded terraces and seasonal growth allow the landscape to remain part of everyday occupation rather than a separate layer surrounding the building,’ the team say.

FLXBL not only undertook the architectural design but also the interior, the furnishings and the landscaping. Key modern pieces are given prominent placement in the generous interiors, while spaces like the basement home theatre and the many reception areas offer plenty of opportunity for collection and display.

The ground floor is dominated by the central great room, with a kitchen, veranda, utility spaces and two ensuite bedrooms are also located at this level. On the first floor, a more private lounge has direct access onto a balcony, flanked by a study area and three more bedrooms, one of which has its own private terrace. The second floor is mostly given over to a generous common terrace, along with a lounge, private terrace and service terrace.

Interior features include stone floors, bespoke fabric wall coverings and carpets. The primary staircase rises alongside a brick spine wall, providing a warm central focus in the heart of the house, contrasting with the vegetation that encroaches on the openings in the solid form.

FLXBL.in

So here it is, the Jaguar Type 01, the car that begins Jaguar's new electric era. Many years in the making - and that's just the PR campaign, the Type 01 needs to take the storied brand into uncharted waters, more upmarket and luxurious than any model that's gone before it, but also defiantly and irreversibly electric.

Through a staggered series of unveils and reveals that found themselves on an unwitting collision course with the wretched culture wars, the Type 01 arrives in a slightly different - and hopefully more mature - than that which greeted the original Concept 00.

Electrification is still an outlier in this sector, but hardly an effected eccentricity. The whingeing contingent that was never going to get with the programme haven't gone away, of course, but they are a little quieter. Even the Ferrari Luce, which stole more than its fair share of negative thunder when revealed back in May, is starting to grow on people, and the addition of the Bentley Torcal to the high-end EV club has helped even more.

Type 01 is a fastback, four-door, four-seat electric saloon. Scale is very much central to its character. At 5,235mm long, Type 01 is knocking on the door of cars like the Bentley Flying Spur, Rolls-Royce Ghost and even the Cadillac Celestiq, but none can match the Type 01’s dramatically low 1,403mm height, something that’s more akin to a sports coupe (the Luce is over 14cm taller).

The underlying electric powertrain and battery (new 850-volt architecture with 118kWh of usable battery) isn’t to put to use to re-shape the interior accommodation (as per Jaguar’s only other dedicated EV, the long discontinued I-Pace) but instead sacrificed on the altar of proportion and drama.

It’s an EV with a very long bonnet and extended rear overhang, forms that help the aero but which also draw a clear line back to the proportions and lines of past Jaguars. Like the Polestars 4 and 5, Type 01 does away with the rear window, replacing it with a camera and screen.

The inclusion of massive 23” wheels as standard (same as the Luce, although it also has truck-like 24” wheels at the rear) helps shrink the Type 01’s silhouette but there’s no escaping the fundamental conclusion; big is better and biggest is best, at least where luxury conveyances are concerned.

Detail design is exquisite, from the new Jaguar monogram to the use of aluminium and brass-effect finishes, Woolblend DuoWeave textiles from Kvadrat, and lightweight NeoGrain material from Ultrafabrics.

From a design point of view there is a lot to admire here, especially the commitment to a minimalist aesthetic that at times tips over into brutalism; the crisp folds of the rear three-quarters as it meets the shoulder line, the near-vertical treatment of the area behind the rear wheel arches and the slatted ‘frames’ that define the front and rear elevations.

Inside it’s a similar approach, with a single 24” OLED instrument panel and a compact 7” touch screen in the centre console. But is it all a step too far in terms of brand image?

Arguably Jaguar’s absence from the fold over the past two years has raised the stakes but also kindled some additional fondness for the brand – everyone wants this car to do well. In pure statistical terms, the Type 01 is competitive, with a projected EPA range of up to 400 miles (450 miles on the WLTP scale), which should translate into 300+ miles at the kind of high-speed cruising it looks suited to.

With up to 1,030PS on tap, the Type 01 should hit 62mph in 3.2 seconds, although a more useful (if illegal) metric is its ability to whisk from 62mph to 112mph in just 4.0 seconds.

There’s obviously lots more to say about the Jaguar Type 01 and when we drive the car we’ll dig down into more detail. However, as a scene-stealing flagship for a company that wanted a full creative re-boot, Type 01 can’t be faulted. Now it just has to deliver the driving experience to match.

Jaguar Type 01, more details at Jaguar.com, @Jaguar

These two Croatian houses represent the concise architectural approaches of the two partners of Zagreb firm Njirić+ arhitekti. Founding partner Hrvoje Njirić set up the studio in 2001 and was subsequently joined by Iskra Filipović. Both have recently completed their own residences, with each one set on a very different site and therefore representing the firm’s varied typological and theoretical approach.

Double-Villa Bukovac: a Croatian house that redraws suburban rules

Hrvoje Njirić’s Double-Villa Bukovac was shortlisted for this year’s EU Mies Awards. Described by the architects as a ‘dialogue with Zagreb’s Urban Master Plan,’ it is in fact more of a critique.

Deliberately shaped to diverge from the many rules and regulations set out in the city’s General Urban Development Plan of the City of Zagreb, Njirić calls the house a ‘vision of reimagining the green foothills of Zagreb for a lower-density residential typology.' In summary, the architects state that they favour 'smaller volumes, lower structures, a gentler footprint and larger plots with a minimum area of 1200 sqm.’

In a way, this is an argument for preserving the city’s suburban character, using idiosyncratic and decidedly non-suburban forms, to provide something of a ‘case study that proposes a new form of urban decency for the city.’ The house actually contains two attached dwellings, deliberately undercutting the allowable maximum built space (600 sqm for a 1,200 sqm lot) in favour of a total of 180 sqm.

The Double-Villa Bukovac also goes out, rather than up, with a linear plan designed for multigenerational living arrangement consisting of a single structure spanning two adjacent lots. The public-facing street façade on the northwest is close to the road, maximizing the amount of available open space behind the houses.

In public, the houses present an austere façade of perforated brick, whilst the private rear to the southeast is glazed, open and shared, with views towards the city.

Double-Villa Bukovac embodies myriad architectural influences, old and new, from Palladio (who inspired the two components’ ‘disciplined symmetry’) to the Eames House and Studio. Even Thomas Jefferson’s work at the University of Virginia gets a nod for influencing ‘the relationship to the terrain and the classical rhythm of the façades,’ while a slightly more contemporary source was the American Case Study House programme.

All of these and more can be detected in the twin mirrored structured, with materiality that becomes lighter further up the structure, a love of unconventional materials (those bricks, the use of cable tray mesh on the façade, billowing ribbons of curtains) and a subterranean garage that also serves as a private art gallery and ‘party venue’. The orientation of the glazed façade minimizes winter energy demands, while passive shading comes into play in the summer.

Zagreb House Extension: A vertically extended city house

In contrast, Iskra Filipović’s residence at 140 Petrova Street reuses an original structure and adds a layer of new accommodation. A rejoinder to Zagreb’s current wave of redevelopments, Petrova 140 ‘was conceived as a way of creating additional living space while retaining and working with as much of the existing structure as possible.’

The prominent site sits on traditionally residential street that has been substantially redeveloped in recent years. By adding a new, distinct volume with twin sawtooth roofs, the architects have opted to preserve the area’s original character, along with its mature trees, as a way of supplementing and not erasing an established identity.

For that reason, contrast and contradiction are brought into play. The metal-clad addition is clearly distinct from the building below, yet in scale and use it remains consistently domestic – ‘different architectural languages sharing the same address,’ according to the studio.

The new addition is made of lightweight prefabricated steel structure to avoid adding any additional stress on the original building. It was also cheaper and quicker to build, qualities that the architects have decided to emphasise and not conceal.

Inside, there’s a welcome uplift to the character of the room thanks to the high-pitched ceilings, while new openings were aligned to predefined views and light paths to ensure daylight reached into the heart of the apartment.

Just as the Double-Villa Bukovac challenges the accepted way of building new houses in the suburban context, Petrova 140 is a riposte to unthinking redevelopment. Construction cost and cultural memory are both given equal play, adding another layer to the changing life of the city.

Njiric.com

Lexus are going out on a limb with the new ES. An elegant fastback saloon, it harks back to the brand’s heyday as a purveyor new era luxury for consumers sickened by the fiscal excess required to bring lightly optioned German cars up to true luxury level.

Instead of demanding customers tick all the boxes, with a corresponding increase in price, Lexus provided practically everything as standard, making cars like the LS and GS a smart alternative. Aggressive over-engineering also helped the newcomer’s case, and the soon the combination of Japanese reliability, crafted comfort and extensive onboard technology swept the board.

Then Lexus went big on SUVs and crossovers, from small to large, helping popularise the genre at the upper end of the market and using sister company Toyota’s copious experience with hybrids to revolutionise another market sector. These days, hybrid SUVs and crossovers dominate the Lexus line-up. Saloon cars don’t get much of a look-in; in fact, saloon sales are down right across every sector.

So why the ES? Sharing underpinnings with Toyota’s Camry and Crown (two models that aren’t available in the UK), it has a similar silhouette and the same basic proportions. The original ES joined the Lexus line-up back in 1989; this is the eighth iteration and the first to be all-electric.

In the US, the Toyota Camry starts at around $29,000 (or roughly £22K). The ES comes with a much punchier £59,000 starting price. How can these differences be accounted for? Japanese craft and hospitality have always been integral to the Lexus marketing message, while the company offers an enduring case study of how to create a brand that responds to market research.

Way back in 1983, the so-called ‘Circle F’ project was initiated by Toyota, keen to break into a North American luxury market that was then dominated by European manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Over the next few years, 60 designers, 2,300 technicians and 1,400 engineers blew through $1bn and made no less than 97 prototypes on their way to creating the acclaimed 1989 Lexus LS460. In the decades that followed, other Japanese and South Korean carmakers followed a similar playbook, spinning luxury divisions off from volume brands (Nissan’s Infiniti, Honda’s Acura and Hyundai’s Genesis).

This approach is now in its final evolutionary form, as the big Chinese conglomerates – Geely, SAIC, Chery and Xioami, etc. – are seeding new brands to the wind like an array of bubble machines, with some popping faster than others.

For Lexus, this new front of extremely accomplished competition has led to a doubling down on the role of craft and heritage, along with the elevation of Japanese manufacturing and craft culture as a point of culturally identifiable difference. Words like Omotenashi (the Japanese spirit of hospitality), Takumi (the work of a master craftsperson) and Kaizen (continual improvement, as per Toyota’s legendary factory-running skills) have become part of the Lexus word cloud.

There’s nothing different here to the way that a company like Rolls-Royce, Bentley or even Jaguar sell themselves as arbiters of British style, taste and values; what seems to matter most to all these manufacturers, Lexus included, is ‘brand salience’ – the ‘unaided awareness of a brand.’

One of the most important learnings from Lexus’s intensive start-up process was the importance of customer service, whether in the salesroom or dealership. It’s a value that persists to the present day, accounting for the impressive levels of loyalty the brand commands.

With all that said, the ES is still a bit of an outlier. Might it tempt buyers of the UX and RZ models out of their SUVs and back into saloons? Although the ES is relatively conservative, it’s also discretely distinguished, inside and out. Its SUV siblings might be more distinctive but, if truth be told, they were also rather awkward and ungainly looking. It didn’t take Lexus long to lose the classical simplicity of the original LS460 (its lines paid undeniable homage to Bruno Sacco-era Mercedes). Once lost, this design ethos hasn’t ever really been rediscovered.

The ES is a small glimmer of light for those of us who like their luxury to be cool, calm and collected. At 5m long it’s a big car, but it never looks overbearing. The front end features sharp-edged lighting signatures and vertical air intakes but loses the yawning maw of earlier cars; this being an EV, it doesn’t need a spindle-inspired radiator and it’s all the better for it.

A prominent side strake adds a sense of dynamism, as does the rising coachline, whilst at the rear the steeply raked rear screen terminates in a neat tail bisected by a horizontal light bar.

The test cars were offered in a sober but not unpleasant colour palette, including Sonic Copper and Sonic Titanium (shown here), and while the 21” wheels look more dramatic, pragmatists should note that opting for 19” wheels gives you 28 miles of additional range.

Inside, the specification is suitably impressive. The bamboo door trim pairs very well with the black and white leather specifications (available as both synthetic and real versions). Creating using a combination of 3D printed elements with bamboo inserts, it is different, elegant and tactile, with a backlight function that accentuates the geometric patterns.

The company has continued its long-running audio partnership with Mark Levinson, offering a 17-speaker upgrade to the standard 10-speaker set-up. An enhanced reclining rear-seat package is also in the works, with heat, ventilation and massage functions.

The dashboard combines a scattering of physical switches (some of which are invisible until illuminated) with a 14” multimedia screen and 12.3” steering wheel display. It’s not all elegant and practical; the interior lighting can be set to pulse in time with the music, for example.

All these little detail improvements add up to a cohesive whole; a redesigned HMI with fast graphics and Google Maps. There’s plenty of storage around and under the centre console, while the spacious rear seat makes the most of the car’s 5m length and the fastback rear lifts to reveal a 517-litre boot.

From a drivetrain point of view, the ES comes equipped with a mid-sized 77kWH battery, good for 361 miles of WLTP-rated range, which means at least 300 miles in regular use. Power output is equivalent to 224hp and 62mph comes up in 8 seconds – slow by EV standards. Sprint times are largely irrelevant in the real world, but mid-range acceleration is smooth and unfussed, adding to an overall sense of calm accomplishment.

Lexus design in general is on the up. Recent motor show reveals have included concepts with real flair, running the gamut from six-wheeled MPV to micromobility and supercar. Some of these might even make production. The new ES is conservative in comparison, but it might just herald the start of a new era of bold – and beautiful – Lexus design.

Lexus ES, from £59,341, Takumi Edition from £72,545, Lexus.co.uk

To most, the pop artist Roy Lichtenstein will forever be associated with Ben-Day dot patterns, comic strip subjects, and whaams, blams, and pows. But Lichtenstein, who created more than 5,000 artworks in his lifetime, loved to experiment in other mediums, including printmaking, sculpture, film – and, as an auction at Sotheby’s proves, furniture.

Back in the late 1960s, Lichtenstein designed a brass and glass coffee table, one of which is part of an online sale happening now at the global auction house. The sale, which coincides with a blockbuster Lichtenstein retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art opening this week, sheds light on this rare part of the artist’s practice – and also offers collectors the opportunity to seriously level up their living room.

‘Roy really dabbled in everything, and so this auction as a whole really demonstrates his versatility as an artist, his boundary-breaking approach to art making,’ says Keith Lebel, an assistant vice president in Sotheby’s contemporary art department. ‘This table represents an unusual foray into furniture design for him.’

The table is an extension of the Lichtenstein’s ‘Modern’ series, a vibrant body of work created in the 1960s that moved away from comic strip subjects in favour of geometric Art Deco motifs. Like the Modern paintings, the table features energetic shapes, as with its rounded, D-shaped legs and horizontal bands.

While experts don’t know precisely why the artist designed the table, they do know that it was made in an edition of three. Lichtenstein kept it for himself and his wife Dorothy to furnish their home in Southampton, New York. ‘This is an object that they lived with,’ Lebel explains. ‘He thought of it as a sculpture, but it was not this precious item not to be touched. It was certainly used.’

The other tables have equally legendary provenance: one went to legendary gallerist Leo Castelli, who swapped a Dan Flavin artwork for it. Meanwhile, the third went to artist Donald Judd in exchange for a sculpture (it’s since wound up in a private collection). ‘The only people who have ever owned these are just remarkable figures,’ Lebel says.

The Modern table as it’s known is part of two sales drawn from Roy and Dorothy Lichtenstein’s personal collection, one live in New York and one online-only. While the 21-lot live auction features works that will likely fetch in excess of $1 million, the online sale has markedly more accessible works, including the coffee table, which is estimated to fetch between $50,000 and $70,000.

‘I hope that collectors, both seasoned and new, will recognize this work as a really unique opportunity to acquire a work by Lichtenstein that is at once instantly recognizable and unusual,’ Lebel says. ‘It has that sort of old New York Art Deco glam that continues to be really appealing.’

Pow, even.

Selections from Reflections on Pop: Works from the Collection of Dorothy and Roy Lichtenstein are now on view at Sotheby's Breuer headquarters. 945 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA