Latest news with #Lusso
Scotsman
08-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Scotsman
Look inside this palatial East Lothian dream home with a secret - yours for £1,300,000
As we approach Fringe by the Sea (August 1-10) and ice-cream weather hits, the urge to move to North Berwick is getting stronger. Our current favourite East Lothian property to hit the market is this gorgeous five-bedroom Arts & Crafts style house, which is situated on Dirleton Avenue and on the market via Coulters Property at a cool price of offers over £1,300,000. It's approached by a gated driveway, and is situated just a few minutes' walk from the sea, with a total floor area of a rather palatial 257 square metres. That's spread across three levels, with three living areas and the same number of bathrooms. Whoever bags the main bedroom also gets an adjacent dressing room and an en suite shower room. Other notable features include a vast lawn that's perfect for playing rounders, a sunken sun terrace for summertime Aperol spritzes, a contemporary kitchen and other open plan spaces, a home gym, a shower room that's lined with Portuguese tiles that are reminiscent of a mermaid's tail, and a family room with a fireplace. This lovely home is currently owned by a couple, Scott and Eithne Wedell, who told us more about their property, including its surprising real age, see below. Tell us about the building - when does it date from and are there any interesting features? The house has period property looks but was actually built in 2017 and to Passive House Standards, so it's actually very energy efficient and that results in low bills for a big house. It doesn't ever have any heating on the bedroom floor as it's not needed (which was a brave decision for Scotland). Any upgrades you've made while living there? We built it from scratch in 2017 so not really. Since moving in, most of our effort probably switched to a focus on the outside landscaping and the planting out there. We worked hard to try and 'settle' the house into the garden (and vice versa). Tell us about the decor and how would you describe your style? The house was largely designed in a style to match Glenconnor House, the grounds of which we sit in. It was built by Charles Tennant, who became Lord Glenconner, owner of Mustique, and he has an interesting story. With a nod to the Arts & Crafts movement of that period, the colours and design of our house's exterior are prominent, so we were both keen on injecting colour into the interior to make it both a little more interesting and also 'homely'. We also took elements of the period that had inspired the building and used it in the wood panelling, doors and other features. The painted staircase is very cool, where did you get that idea? The staircase is actually dark green and we wanted some colour to help bring out the runner carpet on the stairs. We're not sure which came first…the stair colour or the carpet. And where did you find your lovely slipper bath? The main bathroom's stone bath was sourced online from a company called Lusso. We wanted something a little different and they make some beautiful designs. What have been your happiest times at the house? This has been our house for the past eight years and in that time we've seen our kids grow up and we've also welcomed a new addition in our Irish setter, Seamus, so the house has always had a busy energy. The house has also hosted some great parties over the years, with guests roaming the house and the garden. At one party, a person thought it was really cool that we had a dedicated disco downstairs, though they were actually talking about the sitting room! Favourite rooms at the property? The kitchen and diner is the hub of the house. We eat and relax there and its openness to the garden means the picture is always changing. What's growing in the garden and what does well? As you can see from the pictures, the garden is very open and south-facing so it's easy to try lots of different plants. As well as classic Arts & Crafts country style to bring a lot of colour, we planted a plenty of roses and they have really thrived. The other major planting was the pleached trees, which we added to provide screening from the road. They were a slight gamble for the coast in Scotland but we also chose magnolia grandifloras that are now established and even starting to produce huge white flowers that look great. What are your favourite things to do in the area? North Berwick has a great vibe with lots going on. We probably spend most of our time either walking the dog on the beach, which generally ends with a coffee in town, or standing at a touchline for our kids' sports sessions. The food and drink options are great for a small village so we are spoiled for choice. Things like the Fringe by the Sea are amazing for a small place like this. Getting to see big acts in your home place along with a great festival vibe is brilliant in the summer. We may be moving but we're glad that it won't be far, as North Berwick will continue to be our home. For more information on the property at 28a Dirleton Avenue, North Berwick, which is on the market for offers over £1,300, 000, see 3 . Another view of the kitchen dining space SquareFoot Photo: SquareFoot Photo Sales
IOL News
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
New face of elegance? Ferrari Amalfi revealed as Roma's replacement
Sleek new design does away with the 'egg-crate' lower air inlet. Image: Supplied Ferrari doesn't seem to enjoy the term 'facelift' or 'midcycle refresh', both used to describe when car is given a makeover halfway through its life to make it more attractive to new buyers. The company seems to prefer a full name change and calling the re-release a new model. The Ferrari FF became the Lusso, the Portofino replaced the California and 488 turned into the F8 Tributo. Now the Roma turns into the Ferrari Amalfi. The 'new' model has a revised appearance. Ferrari's design team has made the body-wide black strip a signature of recent new releases. We first saw it on the 12Clindri. An even more pronounced version appeared on the F80 hypercar. Thankfully, the Amalfi has a far more discreet application of this new design cue. The strip links new, slimmer headlamps. Gone is the 'egg-crate' lower air intake. New name, same shape as before. Image: Supplied The sleek overall silhouette remains pretty unchanged. A long bonnet and short rear overhang are still the order of the day. The rear-end, too, doesn't seem like a radical departure. There is an active rear spoiler that deploys at different heights depending on the chosen drive mode. Ferrari says that in high downforce mode there is an increase in downforce of 110kg at 250km/h with less than a 4% increase in drag. Ferrari's press material states that the interior has been simplified to achieve a clean and contemporary language, with extensive use of premium materials and integrated technological solutions. We have no experience with the Roma, so we can't really tell you what was wrong before. We can say that the Amalfi looks pretty snazzy inside. Mechanically Similar The basic layout of the newcomer remains pretty unchanged. At the heart of the Ferrari Amalfi is an evolved twin-turbocharged V8 derived from the same engine as used in the Roma. An eight-speed dual-clutch transmission is the sole option. Performance is claimed as: 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds, 0-200km/h in 9.0 seconds and a top speed of 320km/h. The cabin is really snazzy. Image: Supplied To quote: The performance increase was achieved through an advanced turbocharging management system, enabling independent control of the rotational speed of the two turbochargers with dedicated calibration and an increase in the maximum turbo speed up to 171,000 rpm. This approach improves throttle response and boosts pressure control precision. The new engine control unit, already used in models such as the 296 GTB, Ferrari Purosangue, and Ferrari 12Cilindri, has allowed the engine's full potential to be harnessed.
South China Morning Post
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Chefs recall Margarita Forés, ‘kind-hearted' and a ‘culinary icon'
Chef Margarita Araneta Forés, best known for her culinary empire that included Cibo, Grace Park and Lusso, has died aged 65, sending the restaurant community into mourning. Forés' son, Amado, announced the news on his social media account on February 11. 'It is with a heavy heart that I share the sudden passing of my Mom, Margarita A. Forés,' read the caption. 'Our family is mourning this unexpected loss, and we kindly ask for your prayers during this time. We will be able to share more in due time.' Condolences quickly came in from across the food and drink community, expressing shock and grief at the chef's sudden passing. The Filipino chef had been visiting Hong Kong in recent days, and her final Instagram story, posted on Monday, showed she had recently dined at Prince and the Peacock, an Indian restaurant in Central district on Hong Kong Island. Chef Vicky Cheng of Wing and VEA shared an emotional post on his own Instagram account, revealing that Forés had invited him out for a nightcap on Monday evening, which he had to decline due to having an early start the next day. 'In our next life, I want you to feed me Filipino fruits again, cook [together], and make you claypot rice again,' he wrote. 'The (culinary) world just lost one of the kindest person [that] ever existed. Condolences to the family, my heart is with you all.'
