Interiors:
eco chick
British actor Colin Firth and his glamorous Italian wife, Livia Giuggioli, have opened a fresh new eco-friendly design store and service in London. We meet Livia to talk green power, ethical interiors, and why she’s backing smart Scandi designers
words by Sarah Bellamy
You might think the wife of British actor Colin Firth is a very lucky woman. She is, after all, the envy of every Bridget Jones fan alive. However, spend just an hour with her and you begin to wonder whether the man who has set millions of hearts aflutter playing Mr Darcy should be the one counting his blessings.
Firth’s wife is the Italian-born film producer Livia Giuggioli, who is both drop dead gorgeous – in that sultry, Roman way – and sharp as a tack. But what really bowls you over is her infectious, no-nonsense passion for the environment – the ecological movement might well have found one of its most persuasive campaigners yet.
So far, her big achievement in this department is Eco, a one-stop, four-floor shop in the west London suburb of Chiswick – a joint venture between Livia, her husband, her brother Nicola , and their friend, investor Ivo Coulson. Billed as a “green hub” where consumers can not only buy eco-friendly, recycled and fair trade products, but also consult experts and designers about how to make their homes and lifestyles more energy efficient, Eco opened to much fanfare in January.
Nicola first suggested the idea when he moved to London. “Colin and I thought it just seemed to make perfect sense,” she says. “Nicola recognised there were hundreds of online eco shops but none on the high street where people could see, touch and get explanations about every single product. He’s succeeded splendidly.”
Environmental issues were already on Livia’s radar: “I have always tried to live my day-to-day life responsibly – socially and morally. It is a continual learning process but I always consider what I buy and how I recycle. I don’t like to throw things away – food or clothes. I tend to keep things forever.”
It’s obvious that the Eco store is not some fashionable whim for any of the owners but something close to all their hearts. Indeed, when we ask Livia the one thing she’d tell everyone to do to save the planet, it isn’t a simple task, like switch off your computer, but rather a request that everyone read a New York Times op ed article by Michael Pollan called “Why Bother?”. It’s a well-argued piece about
why it’s important for all of us to pull our weight on the environment. Pollan talks about sparking a “process of viral social change”, and how growing our own food could be the best way forward. It seriously gets you thinking about planting your own little vegetable patch.
Eco is equally well thought-out. A self-confessed ball-breaker, Livia’s organisational talents as a film producer helped keep the project on track, while Nicola’s in-depth knowledge was also crucial. Research is key. Every item in the store has been investigated to ensure that the sourcing of the materials, manufacturing process, transportation, manufacturer’s ethics, durability and recycling potential all meet the required standard.
Many of the products hail from Scandinavia because, as Livia points out: “North European countries have always been more ahead in environmental issues, with regard to how to save energy, the certification of materials and products… They started looking at this a long time ago in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany. These are countries that have played a major role in the sustainable market, and a leading role in driving the rest of Europe.”
Key pieces include Norwegian designer Catherine Kullberg’s distinctive hand-made lights that draw on a classic – and sustainable – Scandinavian tradition of using birch veneer. Each lampshade is laser-cut with spruce forest illustrations and mounted on white paper to highlight the silhouetted tree motifs. “We love these magical, sensual lights,” says Livia, who adds that there is nothing in the shop she wouldn’t buy for herself.
Retur Design’s now iconic “Rock’n’Roll” storage system plays a starring role behind the counter on the ground floor. The differently sized paperboard rolls from which the system is constructed are engineered to be extremely strong and resistant, and are free-standing, thanks to Velcro strips, “so you can arrange them as you wish, making them not only functional but fun,” according to Livia. Eco also stocks items by Bla Station, a company that prioritises sustainable development, plus Maison Belle natural cleaning products from Denmark, which are fully biodegradable and 100% recyclable.
Scandinavian classics haven’t been forgotten, with designs by Hans Wegner and Bruno Mathsson also making an appearance. “It’s just extremely well made furniture, all carved and finished by hand. These pieces are not only unique and original, but family collectables and future heirlooms,” says Livia, whose personal favourite among Scandinavian designers is Carl Hansen for his “elegant, simple chairs”. Her brother Nicola is a die-hard Wegner fan: “Wegner always invested all his energy in producing stunning pieces, mostly made by hand and that last forever,” he says. “This is why we selected his works. For me, they really fly the flag for sustainable and luxurious design.”
So does Livia share a Scandinavian-style living space full of blonde wood and clean lines with her husband and their two sons? It seems not. “When I look at images of these amazing white, pure and elegant interiors, I dream of living like that as it is so calming and soothing,” she says. “The reality is, though, I can’t resist being a bit kitsch and crazy. Something happened to me after I had been living in London for few years. The weather here can get a bit gloomy at times and gradually I started to add sparkling cushions, flowery wallpaper, butterflies and other fun decorations everywhere. Then it doesn’t matter too much any more if the sky is grey and outside is damp.”
Evidently you can take the girl out of Italy but you can’t take Italy out of the girl. Which is just as well, because it’s partly her characteristic Italian passion that is propelling this project forward so effectively. Not the types to rest on their laurels, the next item on the Eco team’s agenda is to extend their range to ethically made and ecologically responsible fashion. Watch this space.
Fly me there…
Sterling flies to London from Billund, Copenhagen, Malmö, Oslo and Stockholm. See pages 102-104 or www.sterling.com for more details
Bookmark This Post
