Hotel Carpet, Mah Jong, and the 'Six-Minute Martini' — The Ideas Inspiring Our Editor This November

It’s November, and I’m a little giddy for the festive season. Any time after October is appropriate for seasonal cheer, in my opinion, but I’m knee-deep in decorating plans, gift guides, and Christmas-themed events at the moment that are elevating my spirits.

That said, the design world isn't on holiday just yet. There’s plenty to talk about in this month’s Zeitgeist Edit that isn't Christmas-related, but I’d say I’m gently nudging us towards the hosting and entertaining season.

I’ll keep the full deluge of Christmas for December’s edit, just in case you're feeling Scrooge-like right now.

↑ Going Up — Hotel Carpet

I stayed at an airport hotel recently that had that classic ‘hotel carpet’ — likely a remnant from the 90s, highly patterned, in dark blues, reds, and browns. Can I admit I find something weirdly comforting and nostalgic about them?

Of course, the hospitality sector turned its back on garishly designed floor coverings for the ‘quiet luxury’ aesthetic some time ago, but I can see this carpet trend is making a comeback. I’ve flagged Pierre Yovanovitch’s 1980s-inspired interiors for the new Humm Restaurant in New York for a later feature, while another Livingetc favorite, French design studio Uchronia, has also just launched a collection with Italian manufacturer Radici at a large hospitality conference.

The pictures of this collection are enough to convince me that every cool hotel opening in the near future is going to embrace this trend in some way.

↑ Going Up — Paper Lighting

While writing our seasonal lowdown on the trends I feel are most important to have on your radar for 2027, I couldn’t really look at any other material than paper for lighting. It’s probably the most exciting, diverse material out there in design in general, but especially when it comes to lighting. I’ve even seen a social trend start to emerge where creative DIYers use traditional techniques to make their own intricately shaped paper lanterns from scratch. How’s that for design democracy?

However, when it comes to challenging what you think paper lighting looks like, the designs that are going to blow your mind are always from Palefire Studio. Having just launched its new collection, Gala, it’s a good time to reacquaint yourself with the brand’s almost ‘ceramic-like’ paper shades.

↑ Going Up — Car ‘Interiors’

I’ll admit it, I’m not a ‘car’ guy in particular, but a Porsche x Soho House collaboration? That I can get behind. But what gives the Taycan Turbo S (Soho House One) the Soho Home aesthetic?

Well, it comes in Greek Street Green, for a start, which is the exact paint shade used on the exterior of the original house. It’s an unusual shade, but it’s very cool. Then, open the doors, and you’ll find the chairs upholstered in Soho Home’s Murphy Jacquard and a burl wood trim. It's like taking your Soho Home sofa out on the road with you.

I, for one, am up for more interior design and automotive brand collabs, and making car interiors a little more fun.

↑ Going Up — Bedtime Rituals

Obsessing over sleep quality is a modern pursuit, undoubtedly, but so-called sleepmaxxing is a trend I can always get on board with. While I've explored a lot of avenues when it comes to optimizing my own sleep, I've always been interested in exploring how bedtime rituals themselves have a part to play.

If this sounds like you, can I give you a free weekend recommendation? Luxury bed and mattress brand Hästens' Sleep Spa is collaborating with London apothecary anatomē on a four-day sleep experience. You get to try Hästens' system (which is a joy in and of itself), get personalized advice from the brand's sleep expert, and discover anatomē’s botanical sleep rituals, including essential oils and sensory treatments.

The complimentary experience runs from November 6th-8th, but you must book tickets online here.

↑ Going Up — Engraved gifts

Engraving a gift for someone, I’ll admit, has always felt a bit strange to me — but I’d always imagined it more along the lines of “To John, Love from Sandra”, rather than something that adds to the gift. But I think in 2026, my mind has changed, and I predict engraving will become a big deal for gifts this year, as people seek ideas that feel personal and storied.

Where I’ll be heading? MG&Co has this year launched a ‘hole-in-the-wall’ kiosk in Newson’s Yard on London’s Pimlico Road, offering a selection of its most beautiful trinkets — think jeweled matchbox sleeves, key rings, and playing card holders inset with semi-precious jewels — that you can engrave with something personal and playful, not just a boilerplate message.

↓ Going Down — Fights Over Monopoly

When, this Christmas, someone threatens to break out the Monopoly board, I want to be ready with an alternative. After all, there’s a whole world out there to explore when it comes to board games, and many with a lot more culture and history.

I’ve been invited to a night of Mah Jong, and I’m excited to go and learn to play. This game specifically is undoubtedly having a moment of cultural appreciation in Western society — Google searches have risen by over 200% since 2022 in the UK. Addison Ross also just launched its own collectible version of the game.

I was recently introduced to ‘Carrom’, a tabletop game of Indian heritage, by Rydhima Brar, founder and principal designer of R/terior Studio. The designer has created the Brar Carrom table with 11 Ravens, handcrafted in Los Angeles. “It works across generations: kids, parents and grandparents all around the same board, all laughing,” Rydhima tells me. “Now my daughters play with my father, their grandfather, and I love that the game keeps getting handed down. I wanted to give it a table that deserves its place in the room.”

↓ Going Down — Unchilled Drinks

If I had to give someone a single tip on what it takes to be a great host, I can distill it down to one word: ice. A cocktail is made or broken by how cold it is, in this editor’s opinion, so making sure you’re well stocked up (even with different kinds of ice) should be a priority.

There’s even a science to the perfect chill, as it turns out. Take London bar Bar Eleven, a speakeasy hidden within the contemporary Greek restaurant Jul’s, which has a signature ‘Six-Minute Martini’. The martini is slowly and consistently stirred over large pieces of clear ice, allowing the drink to reach the perfect balance of temperature and dilution. The mixing glass and ice are then placed in the freezer for a final chill, before the temperature is checked with a thermometer, aiming for an exceptionally cold -7°C.

↓ Going Down — Synthetic Dyes

Opening at the end of November at the V&A South Kensington, Biocolour is a new exhibition exploring how designers and material scientists are innovating with ways to create color from biological, sustainable materials, rather than relying on synthetic dyes.

Used heavily in the textile industry, synthetic dyes create billions of tons of water pollution each year, which can severely affect aquatic ecosystems. Plus, they’re also linked to skin irritations and allergies.

What does the future look like? Creative, biological materials like seaweed and fungi, and genius new processes that can be used to replicate colors naturally, as the Biocolour exhibition will show

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