If Iron Man did Laundry

Ever the reliable and well informed consumer service, Design Trawler presents you with it's guide on the best laundry appliances on the market today. Should you opt for a stand-alone washing machine? or a washer-dryer combination? How about drum size? energy efficiency? or synthetic pre-wash soaking delay cycles with built-in cotton baby quick-wash rinse mode? All very valid and sound considerations.

Or... you could chose an appliance that is POWERED BY IRON MAN! That's right, Tony Starck's very own Arc Reactor sits at the core of Samsung's top of the range washer-dryer. Frankly, the fact that the machine features a near silent digital motor and can dry-clean your vicuña undies, are all added bonuses. That's another machine added to the list that my cleaner is banned from using then.

The Baccarat Ratio

If the number of different types of drinking glasses [red wines, white wines, cocktails etc.] in a home is an indicator of ones maturity in life, then the proportion of those that are crystal is a measure of ones success in life. [The measure of how many are Baccarat is an indicator of how many homes one probably has]

Crystal is a beautiful thing. It's weight and transparency diametrically opposed make it a pleasure to drink from. However with Ultraloft at full capacity in matters crystal receptacle related, crystal ornamentation is the logical next rung on the ladder. These iconic chess piece candle holders from the Bay are a beauty; perfectly balancing point-turned detail with angular cuts and corners.

Divinity in the Detail

The first of a series of inspiration gathering grand voyages, Design Trawler visits the home of classical design, Italy to see how the grand palazzos measure up, and how the design dialogue of Europe's best suites stays relevant today. The Presidential Suite in Milan's Westin Palace is one of the cities largest and eschews contemporary couture for a timeless grandeur, with an almost wabi-sabi contentedness.

While the Armani may have polished concrete floors and leather walls [superb in the correct setting], the unadulterated intensity of detailing in the carved and often gilded cornices and panelling are masterful. Transplanting them in to a London newbuild would be inappropriate but the attention to design in every corner, and on every surface from top to bottom sets the benchmark [the 150sqm private terrace overlooked by none of the Westin's 12 floors being another great feature for the occasional festicciola too]

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