This issue’s arrival on the newsstands coincides almost to the day with the 10-year anniversary of my return to this brilliant brand in April 2015 and, wow, what a decade it has been – with myriad changes to the way we live in, decorate and feel about our homes. Interiors are more diverse, vibrant and packed with personality than ever before; the UK design industry has celebrated successes and weathered some serious storms, but the incredible talent found on these shores is as potent and more in-demand globally then ever before.
ELLE Decoration – as it always has been – is at the centre of this creative whirlpool, reflecting the changes and growing and developing as our audience’s desires and tastes have evolved. We don’t stand still.
Our publication also – for the first time that I can remember – comes out bang in the middle of Milan design week. The fact that this frenzied highlight of our calendar dances around the month of April each year – depending on when Easter falls – only adds to the sense of excitement and anticipation. While this annual showcase has been one of the few constants over the past 10 years, it has also changed radically and is now an explosive celebration of everything, from the work of emerging innovators to established names, set alongside an influx of all aspects of high-end luxury design.
What's everyone reading?
While it would be impossible to touch on each of the thousands of events and launches taking place, our round-up of what we predict to be our design-week highlights is essential reading.
Those who know me or have read my ramblings over the years will be familiar with my love of Europe, so will understand how thrilled I am to head off to Italy to see the best of what the continent, and the rest of the world, has to offer, as well as the opportunity to connect with my Editor-in-Chief counterparts from our 25 global editions. You can discover what we have collectively chosen as the winners of our annual International Design Awards – look out for the wealth of Brit-based successes this year!
Elsewhere on these pages we’re not only looking at southern Europe, but also exploring the evolving design aesthetic in the north, as Scandinavia shifts from understated minimalism and subtlety to something altogether bolder, brighter and more invigorating.
Finally, Hannes Peer shares some beautiful words, which coincidentally pretty much sum up how I feel about ELLE Decoration after all this time. Telling us about his most treasured possession, he describes it as ‘a testament to resilience and the beauty of change’. I couldn’t have put it better myself.
