Hello! It’s time for another Crush-Lust-Stalk where I get someone in the interiors, design, architecture field to reveal all about what inspires them. It has been too long. Today I’m speaking to Elaine from Design of the Time. I discovered Design of the Time this past February at the Scottish Interiors Showcase where they were displaying their beautiful and natural textiles with a contemporary scandi twist. I think it is quite possible that I touched every single fabric sample (okay, this was pre covid-19 when that type of behaviour was perfectly acceptable). Sigh.
Design of the Time is a Belgium textile company and I met Carrie their Scotland & Ireland rep who just happens to live in Scotland (yaye). She was incredibly helpful and walked me through their latest collection. I was impressed not only with their designs and quality but also with the ethos of the company. They had really thought through every aspect of design and how they can be used to create truly inspiring interiors. Carrie introduced me to Elaine Puylaert who is Head of Creative. Elaine gets to work alongside her father Yvan and Brother Owen, yup, it is a family run business. She’s been with Design of the Time for 3 years following her degrees in business management in Belgium and a masters in fashion trend forecasting at Polimoda in Florence. What sets Design of the Times apart is that they embrace the beauty of imperfection that is commonly found in natural materials. They feel it creates a casual, untreated look. Their fabrics are sold all over Europe, Asia and in the United States too.
Before I jump into Elaine’s Crush Lust Stalk. Here is my edit from Design of the Time collections: Packed full of earthy neutrals in linen, pure virgin wool, sustainable hemp, I’ve selected items with delicate patterns, interesting natural weaves, muted colours and fabrics with textures that you’ll just want to touch over & over again. They are perfect when paired together to create a stylish contemporary space.
See below for details on each product.
CRUSH. Elaine is crushing on Ask og Eng Kitchens in dark brown. Elaine says “It is minimalistic but warm.” Ask and Eng is a completely new brand to me and after scrolling through their website and insta feed, I’m a huge fan. Founded in 2016, based in Norway and using sustainable bamboo, architect Kristoffer Eng and Environmental Geographer Kine Ask Stenersen started building kitchens and furniture for their own home and quickly became in high demand. It’s easy to see why.
LUST. Elaine has been lusting after the Palissade low lounge chair by Hay design. Dreamy is how I’d describe this outdoor chair. It is designed by French brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec and is perfect in a countryside garden terrace as it is along a busy urban street café. One of my fave local coffee spots in Edinburgh has these exact chairs.
STALK. What is Elaine’s daily Instagram stalk? It’s Cerealmag! A good one Elaine. Always producing high quality content, interesting design articles and drool worthy images, Cereal Mag is always an inspiration.
Elaine lives in Belgium and is currently building her new home just outside the city in the gorgeous green countryside. Her favourite room is the living room. It is minimal, casual, natural and warm. Her style is instinctively minimalistic with a warm touch. I love how the light casts shadows to create a cosy vibe.
Elaine would hop over to Formentera Island, Spain. It’s a small island reached by ferry from Ibiza. It’s known for its crystal clear blue water and long sandy beaches. Elaine has taken lots of inspiration from the colours of the Island and from the quiet, generally relaxed lifestyle of the people. She says “An isolated bungalow near the beach would be paradise.” That sounds divine to me too!
So … What’s next for Designs of the Time:
This past January, Designs of the Time launched their new collection Fuego at Paris Deco Off. It’s the high light of the year. Inspired by South America, where the subtle earth tones meet the vivacious lifestyle. Fuego combines rich materials and artisanal processes with the quintessential South American colour palette. Soft neutrals and spicy hues of red, green, blue and yellow come together in a unique array of textures for the home. My top tip is to mark your calendar for January 2021 and get yourself to Paris to visit their pop up showroom.
I also took the opportunity to ask Elaine about their best selling product. She said the top spot flutters between a few different designs but two fabrics consistently are asked for over & over again. These are the Belgian stone washed Baldemar and Coberly. Baldemar is stonewashed with little white stone tumbled with the fabric to soften it and create and unpredictable surface. It is available in 16 colours. Coberly is also stone washed but rather than stones, rubber balls are used. This replicates the soft hand but leaves more colour in tact on the surface of the fabric. Coberly comes in a rich palette of 38 colours from a soft neutrals through to earthy oxides and nature inspired blues and greens.
Head on over to Design of the Time on Instagram and their website — I’m confident you’ll feel inspired by their collections as well as their photography.
A big thank you to Elaine for starting our week off with loads of inspiration.
Cheers
Liz
My Edit — Design of the Times Textiles:
Fuego Collection, Milma Wool fabric on sofa (available in 10 colours)
Fuego Collection, Chullo cushion fabric (available in 4 colours)
Noble Savage 2 Collection: Urunga, Bindirin, Paringa cushion fabric
Noble Savage 2 Collection: white sofa in Guman fabric
Noble Savage 2 Collection: Kintore, Daku, Inala, Bungobittah, Adina fabric on cushions, Kintore fabric on sofa and Moyhu fabric on curtains
Noble Savage Collection: Tonka hanging fabrics (available in 13 colours)
Oxide Collection: Farrar fabric on pouffs (available in 10 colours)
Oxide Collection: Coberly fabric on cushions (available in 38 colours)
liznylon designs 
One Comment