Venice, Fortuny & Seasonal Design

October 2022 Reflections ❊ Subscribe

VENICE | Inspiration

“When I went to Venice, I discovered that my dream had become—incredibly, but quite simply, my address.”

— Marcel Proust

I was fortunate enough to spend a long weekend in Venice this month.

To me, Venice is a city that celebrates the richness of the human psyche. It is both light and dark, mysterious, and unapologetically beautiful.

The water laps around the city, swells and hugs it. During the day, it sparkles with opportunity—reflecting the majesty of the Doge’s Palace and Venetian architecture, the sunlight, the sky—inviting you to expand your horizons and dream.

At night, the water is charged with a darkness that casts a shadow across the city— it contracts inward. I find myself being pulled down, into the chambers of my own being, as if invited to deep dive into my own subconscious mind and explore its wild corners.

I enjoy this dance between day and night, light and dark, conscious and subconscious. When not visiting Venice, I travel back there in my mind. The city acts as a metaphor for me, symbolising my own emotional landscape.

VENICE | Fortuny

Fortuny

Fortuny fabric is one of the most beautiful materials in the world. I was captivated by it the first time I touched it. The texture, layers of pattern and colour palette are unlike any other fabric I’ve encountered.

Fortuny fabrics have been hand-made in Venice since 1907. The manufacturing process is highly secretive. I was fortunate enough to visit their factory during my trip and Museo Fortuny, where Mariano Fortuny lived and worked.

Thank you Claremont, for arranging the tour of the factory.

Studio Publications | Seasonal Design

Designing with the Seasons

Spending time in nature will help you reprogram your mind and body to stimulate greater creativity, insights and intelligence. You can incorporate nature inside the home and workplace, to develop your sensory intelligence.⁠

In our second series of Naturally Talking, Simon Hawtrey-Woore and I dive deep into how you can stimulate the benefits of nature inside the home. Watch the video and on our instagram page.

Over at HOTEL DESIGNS, I discuss how hotels can create dynamic sensory environments that align with the seasons. Read the article.

Help spread Be-kin’s light

Our Design & Wellbeing Packages are taking flight, and we have some very exciting commercial projects on the go—including a Pilates studio in Primrose Hill and several office spaces across London. If you know of anyone who could benefit from Be-kin, please spread the word. We really appreciate your support.

Until next time,
Wren.