Get some sparkle with the Neo-Deco trend


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I read in your pages a few weeks ago about the Neo-Deco trend; I know there's a lot of new-wave glamour around, but what does it mean and how can I introduce it without having to start all over again? I already have a few ornate, engraved-edge mirrors and I'd like them to be more visible in my apartment. It's small but flooded with light and it seems a shame not to make the most of that.

The Art Deco period produced so many enduring classics that can be easily adapted for modern day use with a little clever thinking and some imagination. For instance, I found a great 1930s mirrored sideboard that I adapted to house a basin with space beneath, as I like to have plenty of storage in my bathroom. The other great thing about the Deco days is that the look was intrinsically - you could say self-consciously - modern and thus the look and all its charms are easy to find.

The cornerstone of Deco glamour is shine and sparkle, monochrome, curved edges combined with sleek geometrics, and witty, interesting details. It's at once cool and comforting, warm and glossy. Keep surfaces shiny. Glass is paramount and, by extension, Perspex. Brushed steel, polished chrome and every other shimmery surface right through to mother-of-pearl all look old yet modern, which is exactly the look you want. Zara Home has plenty of mother-of-pearl tabletop accessories.

Make the most of mirrors. Move your mirrors to centre stage - and remember that they needn't be arranged just by their function. Consider leaning them against walls or placing them on the floor. Use mirrors wherever possible, from stand-alone mirrors to mirrored furniture - they look grand in just the right way and always imply modern. Mirrored surfaces are also good for adding a sense of space to a room naturally lacking in it. If your home is already light-filled, even better - and if not, the mirrors will bounce around what light you do have. As much as I'd almost say you can never have too many mirrors, you can also get the effect with just a subtle touch here and there - a couple of mirrored photo frames, a mirrored candleholder or even Venetian-style coasters.

Add a splash of colour. Don't be afraid of surprising jolts of colour but add them wisely. The overall background effect of this look should be soft, which means choosing a base of neutral shades (I love taupe, grey-beige, and oyster pinks). A touch of colour can make you notice everything a little more - the key is to use it in measured doses. Chartreuse green, deep pink and navy blue all look glamorous but sober enough not to seem camp or crazy.

Go monochrome. Black and white always looks smart and fits this the trend perfectly. A chequerboard effect is gorgeous - and if you can't have the classic chequerboard floor, mimic it with the soft furnishings you choose, working with what you've already got. If you have a white or pale sofa, choose chocolate brown or black cushions and throws. If you have dark wood or lacquered-effect furniture, choose pale - white, cream or beige - accessories to sit on dining and coffee tables.

Pattern in surprising places. A quirkily detailed cushion or throw can be all the detail that you need - the Deco decorators loved interesting, intriguing eye-catchers, with feathers and geometric designs being favourites. Being as concerned with and adoring of modernity as they were, I think they would have appreciated that the best way to honour the look they pioneered would be to apply a shiny new edge using the best of the pieces we can find today.

Emily Davies was talking to Nina Campbell, an interior designer and author. www.ninacampbell.com.

The biog

Favourite book: You Are the Placebo – Making your mind matter, by Dr Joe Dispenza

Hobby: Running and watching Welsh rugby

Travel destination: Cyprus in the summer

Life goals: To be an aspirational and passionate University educator, enjoy life, be healthy and be the best dad possible.

While you're here
Company profile

Name: Thndr

Started: October 2020

Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: FinTech

Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000

Funding stage: series A; $20 million

Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC,  Rabacap and MSA Capital

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

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Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Company name: Farmin

Date started: March 2019

Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi 

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: AgriTech

Initial investment: None to date

Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs 

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

Family reunited

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.

She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.

She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.

The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.

She was held in her native country a year later.

How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.

Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.

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