California dreaming is something I do a lot. As the UK’s short-lived summer slips away and we move into the mellow, crisp-leafed days of autumn, I find myself thinking about the sand between my toes on the beach at Point Dume in Malibu or hiking the trails in Griffith Park. Los Angeles is a city close to my heart. My sister moved there around 20 years ago, and it’s somewhere I have loved getting to know. It’s a magical place where the grittily urban collides with stunning natural beauty, filled with an empowering sense that anything is possible.
It’s bursting with creativity too, with a varied architectural heritage and thriving design scene. This issue seeks to tap into that sunshine-bright energy and the rich inspiration it provides.
First up, on our cover there’s a modern marvel of a home with arresting views of Beverly Hills by architect David Montalba, who has skilfully harnessed the quality of natural light so associated with the area. Then, back in Britain, we showcase a Cotswolds farmhouse granary revitalised with an interior full of texture, warm wood finishes and a pink, orange and brown palette that heavily references 70s California, effortlessly executed by design studio Maddux Creative.
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Elsewhere, we take time to celebrate the work of perhaps the UK’s most talented 20th-century designers Robin and Lucienne Day; look to the other side of the globe to investigate the creative explosion taking place on the Indian subcontinent; and, much closer to home, focus on that most intimate of sanctuaries, the bedroom, to reveal why it’s becoming sexier than ever before.
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So whether you find yourself in The Golden State or simply lounging in your own bed, I hope you get some time to consider the opening and closing quote from the LA-based film Pretty Woman: ‘This is the land of dreams. Some dreams come true, some don’t; but keep dreaming.’ Good advice, particularly given what’s at stake this month…
