Villa Stuyven

1970s brutalist house Villa Stuyven is now home to creative couple Bram Kerkhofs and Lore Baeyens, providing a concrete-lined backdrop to a life of design and collaboration

Designed by local architects Vanderbiest & Reynaert in 1970 for the artist and philosopher Jef Stuyven, the structure has been thoroughly overhauled to accommodate Kerkhofs’s studio, together with a new guest house component for artistic residencies, held in collaboration with Leuven’s Cas-co art space organisation.

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Stone Bookends

In a quiet village nestled near Takamatsu, Japan, nature’s artistry and human craftsmanship converge.

AJI Project, a testament to the enduring legacy of Aji stone, has taken root here. This stone, renowned for its toughness, was once the canvas of famed sculptor Isamu Noguchi, whose works celebrated its unique qualities. With an unwavering commitment to touch and texture, they have created a collection of bookends that seamlessly blend nature into your home.

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Wolves Lane Flower Company

In north London, a once-neglected utopia is bursting into life. Dusky clouds of wild carrot and pink spires of snapdragons sway beneath the panes of 50-year-old glass. Next door, months of patience are paying off in the propagation house.

Alice Vincent has visited Wolves Lane Flower Company in London for Toast Magazine. From the outside, tucked into a pocket of semi-suburban sprawl in Wood Green, the Wolves Lane Centre still looks a little abandoned. But that facade hides a vital, exuberant promise: seasonal flowers grown sustainably, through organic practices. The unlikely wonder of Wolves Lane Flower Company’s existence suggests a future of ecologically friendly cut flowers isn’t just possible, but already here. 

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Iwano Ichibei

Born in 1933, Iwano Ichibei is a ninth generation papermaker of the historic Echizen family.

His brand of Echizen Hosho, heavyweight pure kozo sheets, is one of the purest expressions of Japanese papers. The simplicity of the process is met by the highest quality materials, pristine natural water and all-consuming attention to detail. His kozo is from the eastern coastal mountains. South-facing slopes, wide temperature fluctuations and well-drained soil produce structured yet delicate fibers. Following the depletion of quality kozo from a northern territory, it was his predecessor who pioneered the use of the plant from the region. This Daigo-Nasu Kozo is accessible only to very select few.

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Thank You

Some words from us.

This is the last newsletter of 2023 so we wanted to thank you for subscribing and enjoying the links we choose to share. There are some exciting things happening on the website in 2024 so please ensure you keep visiting and sharing with us your thoughts and ideas. And if you have friends who would like to receive our newsletter then please pass our site details on to them.

Have a Happy Christmas and a great new year. See you on the other side.

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