From the editor

Is it just me or has this year flown by? Or does the tail end just feel that way in comparison to the relative slowness of the last two years? Either way, another year is drawing to a close and I, for one, am looking forward to all that the festive season brings, not least the change in temperature and hopefully a change in pace too.

In this issue of Design Anthology, we cast our gaze further afield for our annual international issue. We’re excited to introduce you to creatives in London and Los Angeles, as well as in Mumbai and Bangkok. And since international travel has just about reopened entirely — bar a few exceptions here and there — we’re equally excited to be profiling new hotels and desirable destinations again, this time Rosewood Villa Magna in Madrid, Suimontei in Japan’s Nara and Kisawa Sanctuary in Mozambique.

Some of the homes in this issue might be my all-time favourites. There’s a charming, personality-filled apartment in Shanghai; an art-filled New Delhi home; a bright, green penthouse in Singapore; a modernist abode that embraces the outdoors in Thailand’s Nakhon Pathom province; and, last but not least, a quintessential Milan apartment that has me already looking forward to April next year.

Speaking of next year, our team has spent quite some time recently reflecting, brainstorming and planning for the year ahead. I dare say you might have noticed the price of most things increasing in the last year, and among the price hikes we’ve experienced, the cost of paper and shipping has been the most difficult to absorb. It’s for this reason that we’ve made the decision to reduce the number of print issues to two per year. But that’s not to say our efforts will be halved! In addition to a refreshed print edition, we’re planning new ways to engage and connect with you, our community, so stay tuned for news (a good way to do that is to sign up for our monthly Dispatch emailer). And for subscribers, your subscriptions will remain unchanged, but you’ll now receive four issues over two years instead of one.

As always, we hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we did producing it.

Stay well.

Inside the issue

Dossier

Openings
News from Jakarta and Shanghai

Products
New collections and collaborations

Read
Upcoming and new books on design, art, interiors and architecture from the world’s best publishers

A Day in the Life
We spend the day with Bangkok-based industrial designer Teerapoj Teeropas, co-founder of handwoven furniture brand Kitt.Ta.Khon

Profile
London-based studio Holloway Li takes a cinematic approach to storytelling through design

Studio Culture
Mumbai studio MuseLAB’s space is as quirky and practical as its founders

Profile
Part artwork, part furniture, Shanghai-based Cometabolism Studio’s pieces defy notions of functionality

Profile
We get to know Amanda Gunawan and Joel Wong of LA-based architecture and design studio The Only Way Is Up (OWIU)

Style

Editor’s Picks
A selection of upgrades for the return of the jet-setter

Profile
Vietnamese lacquerware brand Hanoia is moving into contemporary fashion under the direction of fashion designer Tom Trandt

Wanderlust

Resort, Mozambique
Kisawa Sanctuary offers its guests an ultra-luxurious stay in perfect harmony with the environment

Hotel, Spain
BAR Studio has redesigned Madrid’s iconic Villa Magna for Rosewood Hotels & Resorts

Guesthouse, Japan
Realised by Tokyo’s Wonderwall, Suimontei is a serene bolthole in Nara where history and contemporary design meet

Openings
The best of the new boutique and luxury designer hotels from around the world

Vernissage

Design Gallery, Mumbai
India’s first collectable design gallery pairs designers from around the world with local craftspeople to reinterpret the country’s craft heritage

Home

Singapore
Unity with the landscape was a priority for the owners of this light-filled penthouse designed by MASSONEONG

Milan
A Japanese designer and Italian architect have made a home in a light-filled apartment in one of Milan’s historic Brutalist buildings

Shanghai
Architect He Shen reimagined his century-old apartment with sensitivity to the spirit of the original

Nakhon Pathom
In a provincial city in Thailand, Bangkok-based studio Physicalist took inspiration from a nearby Buddhist temple to create a tranquil retreat

New Delhi
With wabi-sabi elements, traditional objets d’art and a collection of art and antiques, this sprawling home by Ashiesh Shah pays homage to the local landscape

Architectonics

Photo Essay
Hong Kong-based photographer Kenneth Chao travelled to South Korea and Japan to document the work of architect Tadao Ando

The Flâneur

Back in the USSR
A flâneur is an urban explorer — a connoisseur of the street. In our rotating column, guests share their musings, observations and critiques of the urban environment in cities around the world. In this issue, Dubai-based travel and culture editor Samia Qaiyum explores some of Bishkek’s Soviet-era modernist landmarks and the intriguing stories behind them