Latest news with #Scandi-inspired
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Restaurant Review: Duo Gastrobar is a showcase of technical, culinary skill
If you're looking for substance over style, Scandi-inspired decor, and classic, well-executed dishes, then look no further than Duo Gastrobar. Upon walking in, you're greeted with light, bright interiors, enhanced by high ceilings and plush white tablecloths. The meal commenced with some spectacular shaken drinks, including a matcha-inspired martini mixed over a dry London spirit. We enjoyed some delicious chilled small plates, including an inspiringly unique 'broccoli pâté' topped with mixed nuts and crispy kale. This was a truly perfect bite, with the creaminess of the pâté seamlessly marrying with the raw crunch of the broccoli, kale, and nutty garnish. We also selected the braised aubergine—seemingly steamed and pulled—then adorned with chilli butter and thick yogurt. Delicately simple, perfectly dressed, and subtly spicy, it was the ideal way to start an indulgent dinner. Next came the hot starters. These were truly fantastic, my favourite being the Taleggio and oxtail pie, which has not left my mind since. The thick pastry casing was filled with tender, flavourful beef and topped with tart, creamy Taleggio. This dish felt like something magical for the festive season. It was served alongside young cabbage topped with shaved black truffles—again, a seemingly simple dish, yet elevated by high-quality ingredients. Each layer of lightly charred cabbage delicately caressed the creamy sauce, further enhanced by the generous mounds of shaved black summer truffles adorning the top. The mains were executed with the same technical skill and balance of flavours as the smaller plates. The lemon butter chicken was juicy, with a perfectly crispy skin—another seemingly simple dish made memorable through its execution. The cacio e pepe was utterly flawless, with hand-rolled pici pasta cooked to the perfect al dente, gently hugging the creamy pepper and pecorino sauce. We finished with a fantastic drop of red grape, which accompanied a densely layered honey cake.
Irish Examiner
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Wish List: Seven super ideas for your life and living space this week
Scandi style Big news for Cork's northside — JYSK has just opened a shiny new store at Blackpool Retail Park, bringing the Danish home brand's Cork tally to four (joining Youghal, Ballincollig, and Eastgate). The opening creates around 10 new jobs locally too. Pictured above are Aoibheann and Abigail Flynn from Shanakiel jumping for joy — though we're guessing the shop won't encourage that kind of excitement in the cushion aisle. Expect stylish, Scandi-inspired pieces for every corner of your home and garden. More at Jysk. Open-air gallery Art lovers, mark your calendar. From June 1-29, Castlemartyr Resort will become a walkable open-air gallery, with works by Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, and Damien Hirst dotted throughout the grounds. The Art + Soul exhibition will feature over 350 pieces — and if you've never been, the gardens alone are worth the trip. A special preview evening takes place on Friday, May 30, with art, fine dining, and great company. Tickets, €100, are on Eventbrite, via reservations@ or 021-421 9000. Fancy making a night of it? Overnight packages are available from June 1. Holistic health On the Bathroom Shelf this month: Novomins Cranberry & D-Mannose Gummies — a welcome addition if you're prone to UTIs. (I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's a man's world). The B-Corp-certified brand is led by doctors, scientists and nutritionists, and focuses on holistic women's health. Also in the range: PMS and Menobalance gummies — just hook them to my veins, honestly. Available via Chemist Warehouse, Novomins, and Irish TikTok Shop. Metallic magic Add a bit of wow to your walls with a piece by Irish-Mexican artist Jess Kelly. Known for her layered metallic textures, her work features in Michelin-star restaurants, luxury homes and hotels around the world — including Lough Eske Castle. Fans include Amy Huberman and the Real Housewives of New York (Is that one of their baths? I must know.) Her latest exhibition Origins: Chapter II is on now upstairs at Chupi on Clarendon Street. Details at Jesskellyart. Wallpaper wow Wallpaper envy incoming. The once-derelict Little Island Resort in West Cork has been brought back to life by sisters Aislinn and Nicole O'Shea, transforming it into a dreamy boutique hotel overlooking Owenahincha Beach. The 40-year-empty property now features restored original details, an outdoor pool, and a strong focus on sustainability. It's giving California vibes — but better, cos it's at Castlefreke. More at Thelittleisland. Sublime scents I have to declare a candle crush. We're longtime fans of La Bougie, the Irish candle brand hand-poured in West Cork. Their latest? Cedar Atlas — think notes of thyme, cedarwood and oud, with a 50-hour burn time. Left, La Bougie's Cedar Atlas candle; right, Caitlin Godfrey practising yoga at Mount Congreve Gardens, Co Waterford, which hosts Restival this May bank holiday weekend. The full range of candles, diffusers, and linen sprays is available at Labougie, Brown Thomas, Avoca, Meadows & Byrne, and over 100 Irish independents. Wonder and wellness Into wellness with a side of woods? Restival lands at Mount Congreve Gardens, Co Waterford, this May bank holiday weekend. Highlights include yoga with Catherine O'Donoghue, Pilates with Helen O'Donovan, and a workout with Karl Henry. There's also guided forest bathing (shinrin-yoku, if you don't mind), and wellness talks including a Wim Hof Method session with expert Marta Vera. Tickets from €39 at Mountcongreve or grab one at the gate if you're feeling spontaneous.
Time Out
27-04-2025
- Time Out
This stunning Scandi-inspired bathhouse has just opened beneath a luxe hotel in Byron Bay
Relaxation isn't hard to come by in Byron Bay. Hugging the easternmost corner of NSW, on volcanic land thought to hold a unique vibrational energy, the beloved bohemian town has long been a place of healing. And although it's experienced something of a commercial upheaval over the past few years – with high-end hotels and luxe celebrity homes changing the fabric of the once unpretentious hippie haven – there's still a unique magic that seems to hang over the town. Now, hidden beneath one of Byron's most luxurious hotels (it was just listed on a prestigious list of the best hotels in the world), you'll find Navia: a surreally beautiful Scandi-inspired bathhouse that's bringing the town's relaxation game to the next level. Navia co-founders Lucia Wilkinson and Patrick Dusting were travelling Scandinavia when the idea for the space was born. 'We travelled through Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, and absolutely fell in love with their style of bathing. It's a completely different culture from what we have here – in Australia it's quite isolated, but over there, the instant you walk in you feel at home. We felt like we just had to bring that style of bathing to Australia, and where better to do it than Byron, a place that's already so community-focused?' Dusting tells me, while we're sitting in the carefully minimalist, rust-toned lobby, a space that calms your nervous system even before you've spent two hours soaking and steaming in the room below. Descend the stone staircase, and you'll find a huge, cave-like bathhouse that will transport you to another realm. To reflect the Scandi aesthetic, natural light is intentionally kept to a minimum, with warm, orb-like lights placed between the arching sauna doors, and clusters of (electric) candles gathered along the walls. The design is Lucia's masterwork, with, by her own admission, 'inspiration from the saunas we visited in Finland, and a lot of help from Pinterest'. The standout features here are the two magnesium baths (the larger one heated to a warm, hot-tub-like temp and the smaller a chilly 8°C), but the space is also home to a steam room, stunning dark timber sauna, 2°C ice bath and a carefully curated snack station. To allow guests to fully embrace the 'hygge' state of mind (hygge is a Danish concept that translates roughly to "cosiness"), sessions last for two hours, and guests are encouraged to take breaks between soaks and steams to relax on the sofa with a cup of tea and a plate of dried fruit. You'll also find massage therapists on site, offering 60- and 90-minute remedial, relaxation and pregnancy treatments designed to complement the bathhouse experience.
CBC
16-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- CBC
Farewell minimalism: Why floral prints, dark wood and handmade objects are back
Design for You is a column by journalist and interior decorator Eva Voinigescu that spotlights today's most popular decorating and design trends, plus inspired ways to bring them home. The inevitable next step in the sweeping takeover of English design brings nature-inspire patterns to a crescendo and centres unique handcrafted objects one again. What is it? A revival of the Arts and Crafts style that originated in the UK in the late 1800s and made its way across the pond around the turn of the century. The pendulum of trending interior design has quietly swung away from fully minimalist, Scandi-inspired style, with neutral textured fabrics, curved couches, white walls and light-oak everything. Now, we're seeing dark, solid wood furniture; William Morris–style wallpaper; weathered tapestries; and rustic metals like wrought iron, bronze and hammered copper on social media and in design mags. Woven baskets, embroidered art and textiles, and studio ceramics are also popular again. "People want to bring that warmth back into their homes, and I find there are elements of the Arts and Crafts movement that really bring that into a space," Ashley Montgomery, principal designer at Barrie Ont.-based Ashley Montgomery Designs, told me. Her own designs reflect this sensibility, often incorporating rich patterns, woven textures and handcrafted details to create a layered, lived-in esthetic. The renewed popularity of these elements isn't surprising — it feels like a reaction to the aesthetic sameness (and beigeness) of algorithm-driven inspiration and spaces filled with low-quality dupes from fast-design retailers. No wonder this character-filled style is making a comeback. The Arts and Crafts movement was a response to similar conditions in the 1800s. "It's largely seen as a rebuff, or a revolt, against the industrialized age," said design historian Adrian Gamble. "To the industrialists that are saying, 'Well, we can crank out 100 of these in the time it takes your guy to make one' … they say, 'Well, that's not the point.'" Thinkers behind the movement — including its most famous proponent, William Morris — believed that the objects we used daily should be both beautiful and well-made. They championed traditional methods and resisted the rise of mechanized labour, which they felt was replacing quality craftsmanship and eroding the skills required to make things by hand. According to the Victoria and Albert Museum, they wanted products "that not only had integrity but were made in a less dehumanizing way" and looked back to the medieval period as a template for good design and living. The movement also celebrated functionality, authentic materials, simplicity in design and the local landscape. "Oak looks like oak, and stone looks like stone. There's no kind of artifice to it," said Gamble. He added that, for example, the design of an Arts and Crafts piece of furniture will reveal where the woodwork is joined, while the ideal floral wallpaper will depict flowers native to the area where it's being made. This idea of celebrating the local, in particular, helped to popularize and legitimize Arts and Crafts style at the time. Gamble notes that makers were able to lean into British consumers' appreciation of their regional heritage and even "a sort of patriotism" to package and sell their work. In Canada, it was also linked to the development of a unique national identity that celebrated our country's industry, natural resources and beauty, says Gamble. And it was just as desirable as it was in the U.K.: "If you're really fashionable…you get an Arts and Crafts house; you get a Group of Seven painting over your mantelpiece." Today, buying local may be more relevant than ever. Tariff threats, the climate crisis and concerns about ethical labour are driving renewed interest in homegrown products and businesses. People are also gravitating toward the planet-friendly practices of small-scale makers — and toward vintage and antique pieces, which offer sustainability along with a sense of history and craftsmanship. In this way, the renewed embrace of Arts and Crafts design is more than a style shift — it's a values shift. As Gamble put it, "There's always been kind of an alternative, a bit granola aspect … let's get handmade local wood stuff, let's not get particleboard." And in a world of fast everything, this slower, more intentional approach increasingly feels like the more modern one. So how are today's design minds interpreting this storied style to bring character back into our spaces? One simple way to embrace this esthetic is to bring in some bold, nature-inspired pattern. Montgomery incorporates a lot of wallpaper into her designs, and loves the accessibility and affordability of vendors selling on platforms like Etsy. You can even source some of William Morris's original patterns. The key to working with these prints, whether they appear on walls or textiles, is balance. "If you have a floral, add something masculine to balance — so add a stripe or a plaid to go with it," Montgomery advised. "Then throw a solid in there to settle everything." Montgomery also brings this style into her designs through gallery walls, often made up of pieces sourced from thrift stores. Lately, she's been hanging arrangements of vintage ceramic dishware, which nods to the Arts and Crafts movement's appreciation for handmade pieces. Thrifted woven baskets, hung en masse, are another example of beauty rooted in construction and function. The same idea applies when sourcing Arts and Crafts-inspired furniture, whether new or vintage. "It's a shame to see [pieces] go to the landfill," said Montgomery, adding that old furniture can be given new life with a bit of creativity. "Use a vintage chest of drawers as a nightstand," she suggests. Look for pieces with simple lines that highlight the natural qualities of materials like wood and iron, and don't disguise how they're constructed. Visible joinery, like in the chair and cabinet below, is key to the style. This contemporary bedside table by Beata Heuman is crafted from local London plane tree wood, with its distinctive look defined by the material's natural grain and functional details like the handle cut-outs. Design content creator Drew Michael Scott's recent renovation is perhaps one of the most comprehensive examples of how to incorporate Arts and Crafts elements into your home today, from the use of tapestries and floral wallpaper to the medieval-inspired iron light fixtures, stencilled beams and heavy wood furniture with dark stains, clean lines and visible construction. This space by Tiffany Piotrowski of Tiffany Leigh Design incorporates a muted tapestry, wicker basket and hand-carved stool in her living room. In the Tiffany Leigh Design studio, a solid wood chair with exposed joinery features a floral patterned seat. This space designed by Heidi Caillier features dark wood cabinetry, copper countertops and vintage tile.
Telegraph
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Don't go for florals this spring. A new pattern is in style
Each incarnation of this perennial print is as reliable as it is ripe for reinvention, from gingham to tweed to tartan. So it's little wonder that checks are a sartorial stalwart for the Royal family – especially the Princess of Wales, who chose a bespoke coat in burgundy tartan by Blazé Milano for a visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London in January. Others are drawn to the laid-back allure of checks, including the actress Katie Holmes, who regularly turns to flannel shirts and shackets for a grown-up take on grunge. The checked shirt has enjoyed renewed relevance in womenswear ever since Kate Moss stole Bottega Veneta's spring/summer 2023 show in blue-and-white plaid, a look that returned in playfully misproportioned style in the spring/summer 2025 collection. With Nothing Underneath's checked shirts have been bestsellers since the British brand launched them in 2020, but sales are currently up 108 per cent year on year. They've long been a wardrobe staple for the brand's founder, Pip Durell. 'I love the nostalgia they bring to your look,' she says. 'Wearing them feels familiar and comforting, bringing country references back into the city, whether styled casually over a roll-neck or under our tailored wool blazer.' The newest way to wear checks is more surprising, inspired by the romantic, flowing silhouettes seen on the catwalk at SS Daley, one of British fashion's most exciting young talents. The shapes have made their way onto the high street in an elegant flurry of skirts and dresses, everywhere from Massimo Dutti to Cos. These will see you through the last of winter with tights, boots and a trusty knit, but will also offer an appealing alternative to florals come spring. Another styling trick is to combine checks with other prints, emboldened by multiple looks on Acne's spring/summer 2025 catwalk, which layered plaid with polka dots and snake print in playful, sculptural designs. An oversized check scarf in luminous colourways has become a signature of the Stockholm-based fashion house, providing a dopamine boost to many a minimalist Scandi-inspired wardrobe. Of course, those sceptical about these new check-mates might prefer to play it safe with a more subtle version of the accessory (and one of the Princess of Wales's most effortless styling touches): a classic tartan scarf. Shopping by Sophie Tobin
