The Selfie, Vitra, and the Negroni...

Being an observant little birdie, I love to absorb my surroundings. Moments capture my line?of sight from the likes of?a light installation made of fishing net and crystals that catch the daylight and the flicker of candles at night by Ingo Maurer?called?Lacrime?del?Pescatore?(2009),

(pictured above and found at De Durgerdam ).?It could also easily?be a simple case of admiring the beauty of a perfectly placed Chieftain Chair by House of Finn?Juhl?sitting pretty in?Vals?at?Brücke?49. At The Brecon Adelboden (the new hotel in the Alps), I spotted several gorgeous low-swung sofas by?Vitra?staged against a pair of 1960s Jean Gillon lounge chairs, whose creased vintage leather hints of soirees past, a perfect mélange of design. When inspired, the iPhone gets an outing as I snap furnishings, decorative pieces, delectable corners or even the odd ceramic tile. Our approved hotels and guesthouses all capture interior magic – that's what attracted us in the first place.

Sometimes, however, I need to crash at a non-aficionados?hotel. Can you imagine? It happens. I had recently booked what seemed an okay place that came with all the bells and whistles of luxury, and?it even had all the right attributes - stylish, designish, and flirtish. Let's call it the 'NoName' hotel so as not to?offend?(perhaps they will invite me back to remedy the interiors).?It turned out to be a perfect case study of how?not?to?do?a hotel - they had spent a small fortune overloading it with unnecessary props with no relative meaning, contracted artworks that looked lost and a plethora of mismatched heritage furnishings.?It made me realise that curating the perfect hotel requires an often unsung,?silent skillset.?In a nutshell (they had a resin one painted neon pink on the desk - god only knows?why), the NoName joint lacked that crucial element: an original soul. It won't be appearing on these pages anytime soon.?Now, I have no precise formula to define this art of interiors best; I guess you?either have it or don’t, but something was missing. The hotel?lacked charisma, provenance and, importantly, an owner's hand?– someone who fusses over every detail.

Perfect examples of how best to do this are found in this week's Sunday Edit?- a?love?note?to Benny & Patrick at the Hotel Arlberg Lech , who foster an interior of heirloom design with the elegance of a modern chalet, Cathrine & Niall at Breac.House on the Atlantic frontiers of Ireland created?a modernist haven laced with?local crafts. Meanwhile, over in Italy, Andreas and Peter triumph in their?monolithic?Umbrian fortress-house?near Lake Trasimeno, and the lovely?Alexandra & Giorgos create poetry in white perched over the caldera on the island of Santorini. This is also the case for the many makers that we feature, whether that be the Swedish ski makers?Stefan Cederberg and Patrik?S?derlund?or Etruscan clay meets ancient ceramic?traditions overlaid with modern design?by Simone Giottoli ?at Cotto?Etrusco?in Italy; every bathroom deserves such glazed beauties. For your home casa, there's no better way to find your creative expression than staying in one of our hotels and sweet spot guesthouses –sleep and explore the creative talents and the interiors that breathe with comfort and style?and?have a?whispered?soul –a few of which I've picked out.?Also,?this?Sunday, we preview?Glitter Balls Go Gourmet?in the Austrian capital as Barbara & Alain of legendary restaurant?Taubenkobel?hit Vienna again this autumn for their seasonal pop-up set within an old?discotheque. Meanwhile, Klaus & Carmen, over at their 'Bond' plateau, are about to?open up?three new panoramic house suites to their Wunderkind of a hotel high above?Merano?in South Tyrol. Keeping the theme of hotel houses, in Austria's Bregenzerwald (between Lech and Lake Constance), Peter and Pia?Fetz?open up?their new 'W?lderhaus' and Hirschen Homes,?apartments housed within a heritage build - a marriage of smooth design and the patina of tradition. ?

Back in Switzerland, in my fabulous suite, I couldn't keep my eyes off the in-room mottled green Vitra ?sofa –?and snapping a selfie (not included ??), I could see how beautiful moi looked – suave and sophisticated.?Besides that, the colour green wonderfully contrasts with?my in-hand Negroni's blood red-orange tones. Perhaps they make cushions in that combo.?The mood board for the London loft was set,?inspired by a suite in Adelboden. Next week, I will be in Indiana Jones mode with iced eyebrows, no doubt, as I head north to the Fjords with several hops on the propeller machines (which I love as they hug the airflows; it's like driving a MINI Cooper in the clouds) to reach an outpost of fishing heritage and doorstep nature. I wonder what I will find?there?as creative?inspo?amongst those little houses painted in?Falu?red. A soul train is waiting for me to board with our approval illuminated above.

Hugs

Iain & Crew