Inside Issue 60, from the Editor

Posted in Issue 60, News, sticky-news

Spring is the season of awakening, and this issue marks a season of change for SPACE. It is our first under new editorship – a new era for the magazine, carrying with it the same quality of content and reporting our readers know, viewed through a new lens.

ON THE COVER

The theme of evolution begins on the cover. Christian Pellizzari’s Saffron Iridacee is a hand-blown Murano glass wall lamp showcased at Nilufar Grand Hotel during Milan Design Week 2026. With its bright and blooming design, it is a fitting symbol of where the magazine is heading.

Read the latest issue of SPACE design magazine online now.

INSIDE ISSUE 60, FROM THE EDITOR

Spring has always been the season of awakening – of light returning, colour reasserting itself, and the anticipation of what comes next. It feels fitting, then, that this issue marks a season of change for both me and SPACE, as I step into the editor’s chair for the first time.

Christian Pellizzari’s Saffron Iridacee, a hand-blown Murano glass wall lamp unveiled at Nilufar during Milan Design Week 2026, captures the mood perfectly for our cover. To me, it speaks to this moment at the magazine where we bloom into our new era, bringing with us the same commitment to craft, reporting and beautifully observed design, viewed through a new lens. Designer Wren Loucks picks up the same thread in her dispatch from Milan, writing on resonance, meaning and the search for beauty beyond the show’s spectacle (p.100).

Evolution is also at the heart of our Visionary’s story for this issue. Stephanie Barba Mendoza reflects on the journey from early-career designer to founding her own studio, and the unexpected confidence that motherhood brought to her practice, reminding us that creative growth often finds us unexpectedly (p.46).

In partnership with NEWH UK, we launch Dual Perspectives, a new series pairing a seasoned professional with a student scholar on the talking points shaping our industry (p.14). After comparing notes with NEWH UK Scholar Francesca Conidi, Timothy Shepherd, Founder & Managing Director of Shepherd& also shares the story behind his latest project (p.40).

Our industry leader interview takes us to Maud Bailly, CEO of Sofitel, MGallery & Emblems Collection, who is redefining French-rooted luxury and shares her take on balancing heritage with environmental certification, diversity, and an ambitious global vision.

The hotels in this issue span the globe and the spectrum of design ambition. From the Laikipia plateau, where andBeyond Suyian Lodge joins Kenya’s storied safari landscape (p.80), to Rosewood’s first alpine property at Courchevel 1850 (p.86), and Tokyo meeting the East End at Aethos London (p.68). Neri&Hu bring cinematic sequence to The Lake Como EDITION (p.74); a 15th-century Cannaregio palazzo reopens as Orient Express Venezia (p.62); and Rachael Gowdridge channels Berlin’s raw refinement at The Dean Berlin (p.54).

Ahead of WOW!house 2026, we go behind the design of five standout rooms. Our destination report dives into Egypt’s hotel pipeline, which currently leads the African continent. And finally, our special feature, AQUA, dives into bathroom design, spotlighting the manufacturers pairing innovation with beautiful product design.

Taking the baton from Emma is both a privilege and a responsibility – one I step into with huge thanks for the story she has written so far, and real excitement for what comes next. To our readers, contributors and the wider industry – thank you for the warm welcome. I hope you find as much in these pages as we did in making them.

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