Designed with discretion: editor’s picks to ring in the new year

Lema’s Eureka bar cabinet elevates home entertaining through its subtlety. Leather and suede panelling create luxurious facades that hide meticulously organised interiors, while elegant glassware finds perfect frames and precious liqueurs rest in tailored niches. Every detail responds to contemporary lifestyle demands through infinite customisation. The retractable trolley glides effortlessly, positioning itself near integrated refrigeration technology for seamless service. The bar cabinet proves that luxury lies in thoughtful details—hidden mechanisms, premium materials and intelligent design that anticipates every entertaining scenario.

Minotti’s latest Textile and Leather Collection push the boundaries of furniture covering. Behind the surface lies the Minotti Studio’s exhaustive research process, with natural fibres and premium leathers selected with exacting standards, and textures engineered to blend Minotti’s artisanal heritage with the latest innovations. The result is a distinctly Italian collection that refuses to compromise between softness and durability, all whilst meeting international sustainability benchmarks. The palette transitions from warm tanganika, sand and tobacco to bolder rust and aquamarine, each shade conceived to complement other materials like fine woods, marble, stone and lacquer present in the space.

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Some furniture sits in a room, whilst the Native Console floats effortlessly. This collaboration between Chacko and Nikunj Patel of Studio Moebius refuses to choose between eras, balancing Indian heritage with contemporary flair. The console is made of teakwood, which frames veneered ply, paired with solid brass hardware. The illustrated panels are where Tanjore’s ornate sensibility meets mid-century geometry. The imagery tells a distinctly Indian story through agrarian scenes, with figures moving through tiered landscapes that recall both ancient temple friezes and line work. Its exceptionality owes itself to its refusal to resolve these tensions; Old World craftsmanship and modernity exist in the same breath, adding unexpected intrigue to any room. This is furniture that understands heritage as something living rather than preserved.

De Gournay, a London-based design house, has quietly insisted that walls deserve the same attention as any artist’s canvas. This hand-painted panel, sourced through Elements Fine Furnishings, demonstrates precisely why: golden palm fronds cascade against misty blue depths, coral blooms punctuate sinuous trunks, and foliage layers with the kind of depth only achieved by patient brushwork. Founded in 1986, De Gournay continues the 18th-century tradition of bespoke wall coverings, each panel painted to order on silk or gilded paper with exacting standards that have set interiors with these claddings apart for generations. This attention to detail evokes images of a lush, sun-drenched escape that exists at the heart of the home.

Marble has long been synonymous with opulence. But in the hands of Sheree Stuart, a quieter splendour can take place. After spending years sourcing the stone from the town of Siderno, nestled in Italy’s Calabrian region, she has engineered an opportunity for each Terra Frammenti piece to stand on its own. The colours span from Sienna Rose pink to Breccia Firenze burgundy, with touches of wine and sapphire green. Each piece is made from a distinctive block of marble, imprinted with its own geological story rendered exquisite by each artisan. 

Without needing to proclaim its heritage, the Butler Tray by Philux stands proudly on its own. Made from local ash or walnut wood, this distinctive piece is a prime example of Filipino design. The folding X-frame structure embodies a refined hospitality that has been perfected over generations, while the removable tray top, with its subtle lip, acknowledges the particular grace of service without compromise. The rattan weave is distinctively local, reflecting a material intelligence that took place long before sustainability became fashionable.

Beyond replicating scents, Dr Vranjes sets the stage for vivid memories. Bellini, from the Tuscan master perfumer’s eponymous Firenze collection, translates Venice not through gondola clichés but via the city’s most famous aperitif, Aperol. The top notes of bergamot and peach dance with white grape and lily of the valley, whilst vetiver and ginger provide unexpected depth underneath. The fragrance forms an olfactory cartography, mapping the route between Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge while capturing the Serenissima’s particular light. After some time, the top notes give way to peach heart and a litsea cubeba, vetiver and ginger base that lingers in the air.

The rug is often an underutilised detail that has the power to transform an atmosphere. Ardhi Looms’s latest collection, Loomroot, seeks to reframe this perspective. Sisters Saina and Kanika Takkar have hand-tufted each piece in silken threads over months of considered work, translating not the literal look of landscape but its felt experience: the weight of earth, the drift of air, the memory held in water’s retreat. Each piece stands as an interpretation of the feelings nature evokes, rather than an illustration of the physical realm. What sets Ardhi Looms apart is an intuitive understanding that the finest contemporary craft needn’t announce itself: such opportunities for reflection are an intuitive exercise in grounding.

Drawing from Japanese paper lanterns, Boffi’s Bombori lighting is made using Akita cedarwood slats and Mino washi paper. This translucent variety is an encapsulation of Japanese interiors, with its celebration of handcrafted tradition. Available as a pendant, floor, or desk lamp, Bombori doesn’t merely provide light but filters it, softening and diffusing a warm glow throughout the room. The unique beauty of this piece emerges from the integrity of the materials used and the quiet confidence of forms perfected over time.

In the 1970s, Mario Bellini took a revolutionary approach, focusing on the interplay of furniture and frame, much like a body’s skeleton beneath the skin. Cab 412, his design for Cassina, is the world’s first free-standing cowhide chair. With surgical precision, twenty- one pieces of saddle leather undergo twenty-two discrete hand procedures, trimmed at the edges before being sewn together, then zippered onto the steel frame like bespoke clothing. What began as radical innovation has evolved into a signature piece, demonstrating why certain designs resist obsolescence. This is production excellence that requires multiple stages of artisan workmanship to achieve something deceptively simple and ultimately unforgettable.

This finely-crafted mirror from Maison Bodega reflects the decorative sensibilities of the 19th century, characterised by its substantial wooden frame. Turned finials and embellishment with carved grapevine motifs add visual interest to balance the functionality of the piece. The naturalistic symbolism of the grapevine, associated with abundance, vitality and domestic prosperity, would make a perfect addition to any home. Its scale and workmanship suggest that it once served as a focal point within a well-curated interior, exemplifying the era’s appreciation for decorative arts that translates seamlessly into home decoration today.

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