The few glimpses of face-warming sun we've had so far this year have been almost unbearable with their teasing promises of a warm summer ahead. It's a frustrating feeling, knowing that summer will come but at the moment is still a little too far out of reach. It's like looking back at your holiday pictures from last year's beach trip or seeing advertisements for Aperol or rosé wine (you know, the good stuff, not the stuff that tastes like sticky peach squash).
Looking at the new collection from homeware brand Cabana inspires a similar sort of mood. It's a collection that brings to mind long late-afternoon lunches; it's reminiscent of that one week a year where you come to the conclusion that you should replace your functional British wardrobe with extravagant kaftans; it's summer (literally) in a bowl.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
In case you hadn't noticed, a splashy, colourful brightness in interiors has set in. Call it a reaction to the dark and dreary world outside, or a backlash to years of Scandi minimalism; extravagant, ostentatious looks are fast becoming the norm.
Cabana itself began as an interiors magazine (the look and print of the mag sparks far more joy than a weekly copy of Take A Break, I can tell you) created by Martina Mondadori Sartogo and has become something of a cult publication. This collection is launching at Matches Fashion and taking over their Mayfair townhouse, 5 Carlos Place, for all of April – something you can absolutely head on down to check out yourself from 5th April.
The collection is, as you'll note, focused on dinnerware. The plates are hand-painted in Italy, inspired by traditional Hungarian and Mediterranean techniques; the linen pattern comes from ecclesiastical vestments from Renaissance Venice; the glass is all blown in Murano and the baskets and placemats are woven in Florence.
As you might have surmised, the collection's prices make it more of an investment buy than an impulse purchase kind of thing – although there are a few pieces which start from £30.
Happy summering.