Functionality, quality and aesthetics. These are the main principles of Studio Joanna Laajisto's designs. Be it interiors, products or services, the agency's philosophy is to create beautiful, long-lasting and meaningful design that stem from sustainable values and the understanding of human behavior.

Cafe Coutume is the studio's latest project. A minimalist cafe located in Paris, France. High ceilings, warm walls and the introduction of simple-yet-timeless pieces of furniture makes this a soft-minimal haven. Laajisto's Airisto stools and benches, Saku Sysiö's Laakso dining chairs and a large gold rug draped across the wall show the studio’s mastery of mindfulness and minimalism principles.

The spirit and subtleness of Joanna and her team is strikingly clear across all of her projects. The proof is in the projects below:

Pink walls, anyone?

Ph. Studio Joanna Laajisto

Annabell Kutucu is a renowned Interior Designer and Stylist based in Berlin. She has been styling and decorating private luxury homes for more than 10 years. Since she set up her own business in 2010, with a focus on hospitality and private residences, her style has allowed her to work on several (and may I add: stunning!) hospitality projects, like the renowned Casa Cook Kos, The Scorpio Hotel and Tulum Treehouse in Mexico – among many other noteworthy projects.

I’ve featured some of her projects before. Her wanderer style is not only eye-catching but very inspiring for those of us who enjoy traveling vicariously through her work.

In her newest interior design work: "No Ordinary Apartment" - Annabell designs the 300sqm apartment for a travel aficionado and the result is nothing but perfection. The apartment is divided in two, united with a seamless connection through wooden sliding doors. A composition of custom-made interiors, wooden furniture, rough linen and carpets, selected mid-century vintage finds and unique objects complement the subdued walls. The owner’s travel finds have been displayed around the apartment and they bring a beautiful warmth to the otherwise clean slate. Texture is brought in with large wicker baskets, handmade cushions, raw wood and ceramics – and the space is further personalized by the artwork hanging on the wall.

My favorite room (as usual, I must confess) is the bathroom. I get the feeling that the owner is transported to a faraway destination by stepping into that extraordinary space. Textured walls, soft natural lighting and a minimalist touch are very much what composes my dream room.

Simple living and leisure are words I'd use to describe this place. A celebration of the modern Bohemian, a tactile experience and laid-back luxury, maybe? However we describe this place, the images above speak louder of the mastery and spirit of both the owner and the designer.

What's your favorite spot in this apartment? Leave your answer below.

Ph. Claus Brechenmache

A hotel hidden in plain sight in the vast beauty of Canyon Point, Utah, Amangiri is an award-winning luxury hotel by the  well-known Aman group that co-exists with nature in a quiet-yet-grand way. With rooms starting at $1,000, there’s an unspoken expectation of finding opulence and pompousness. But the only display of anything pretentious comes from nature. The imposing dessert and the grandiose canyon shapes create the perfect atmosphere for both resting and exploring.

Amangiri falls outside the common descriptions of a hotel. I don’t think it can even be classified as such. It is more a place of rest. Bedrooms are compact and pared down to the essentials – almost promoting minimalism and mindfulness by its simple beauty. A desk, a bed and low couch are all set on a pale-stone platform facing a wall of concertina windows that open up completely to the outside. Bathrooms (my favorite part) are large and sybaritic, with rain showers (sold!), deep soaking tubs and sweeping views of the rock walls.

In case you were wondering... yes, there’s a beautiful spa, a stunning pool, and meals to remember – but as enticing as that must sound, the hotel is not just a beautiful frame for the outdoors or a zen-like experience. Only at Amangiri do guests have the extraordinary opportunity to explore the majestic dessert in unique ways. Hike through rock formations, experience the sunrise in a hot-air balloon or horseback ride through the wonders of Canyon Point.

The experience of co-living with nature is what makes traveling from our concrete living to Amangiri. If you’re curious to know what it feels like to stay at a hotel were the indoor and outdoor experience is blurred, this should be your next trip.

Take A Peek

Ph. Aman Resorts, Giorgio Possenti and Joe Fletcher

Based in Bethnal Green, London, Naomi creates limited edition collections for her shop Bikis Ceramics. Her work explores undulating sculptural forms influenced by 1970s product design and ancient functional ceramics. Using a mixture of underglazes, coloured slips and glazes, she experiments with hyper-glossy work alongside rough, textured pieces that require multiple firings and glazes.

Naomi is from a small seaside town on the South coast of England. She moved there to study journalism and worked in fashion for years as a writer and editor. Naomi used to write about creative people living their passions and dreams. That motivated her to start her own business while still maintaining her freelance writing. Her initial attraction to clay started at a point of discomfort and discontent – the fashion industry had stopped inspiring her and she wanted to try something different. She decided to start a short ceramics course at her community center… and immediately fell for it.

Shortly thereafter, Naomi launched Bikis Ceramics. She runs her business from her one-bedroom flat and she is now also living her passion and dreams. Working with clay has taught her to ease into her learning process and to never give up – quite literally, she has learned to be comfortable with failure: "You can spend weeks on a piece for it to do something horrid in the kiln and come out putrid yellow. And you can’t give up, otherwise you’ve wasted a bag of clay and studio rent." – She says to Anyonegirl.

Through a turn of events, she is now inspired by fashion, the human body, the ribs of shells, the sand when the tide has rolled out and, wait for it: imperfection – yes, in a world obsessed with perfinction, Naomi is inspired by everything that’s not.

Naomi’s career, process and work is a true inspiration for other women striving to do what they love. What we can take away from her story and her work is to do the things that set our souls on fire. That makes us jump out of bed to live our passions and our dreams.

ph. stephanie mcleod and philippa johnson