WHERE THE EYE WANDERS

January 2026

This was supposed to be sent to you in January, but life had other plans. In the spirit of better late than never, here’s a time capsule from the start of 2026.

January was a curious month- full of get-up-and-go, yet punctuated by stops and pauses.

I began the year reading Orbital, which gave a dazzling perspective to the dreariest of days. Sam Harvey transports the reader up to the ISS, poetically describing orbits around Earth, weather patterns and the intense awe and emotion of being removed from our planet. The book gives you a superpower: a chance to experience the overview effect, picturing yourself – all ourselves – hanging in darkness with parts of our world lit up and warmed by summer.

Leaning into things that feel right, I took a last minute trip to Milan for a friend’s birthday. As she brilliantly said, we have to grab these moments when life offers us up a chance to celebrate. Now is the only time.

Milan – I’ve come to really appreciate this convivial city over recent visits to dear old friends (and new clients) whose house I’m helping to decorate in Piedmont. More on this soon.

Sunday morning we were first through the door of the Armani exhibition at the Pinacoteca di Brera. It was extraordinary to see his couture on mannequins standing at the centre of those grand rooms, surrounded by works by Caravaggio, Canaletto and Hayez. Swathes of coloured or muted fabric were quietly echoed in paintings or simply stood shimmering in their midst.

Back in London, the 2026 Art Fair didn’t disappoint and several new galleries caught my eye as potential collaborators. Among the highlights was Karen Smith’s Gallery 155A where Serena Rowe – a university friend and painter I’ve long admired – had her work on show.

That work continued with my introduction to General Assembly; a gorgeous gallery just opposite St George’s Church in Mayfair that I came to know through a serendipitous meeting with its owner, Melanie Ashton, over dinner in Oxford last November.

JOY – COURAGE reads a post-it above my desk. Both ebbed and flowed in January, but they set the course. We may be blown off our path, especially in such turbulent times as these, but as the first month comes to a close, here’s to maintaining focus and following our plan, our North Star, through 2026.