Lucy Loves: March
The art, design & travel things I'm obsessing over this month
Hi everyone,
I hope you are all well. I’ve recently returned from Sapanca (more on this below) and am super excited to have booked a last-minute holiday to one of our favourite places. We last went there when bub was a titch (read: sleepless nights, breastfeeding struggles and crazy hormones) so I’m looking forward to going back feeling like my ‘normal’ self again.
February was chock-full of deadlines, snow days and late-night writing sessions, so I’m hoping to have a little more breathing room this month to enjoy our little break and all that spring has to offer. From a must-see exhibition at the National Gallery to the king of all art fairs, these are the things I’m most looking forward to in March.
Thank you so much for being here with me! Your support allows me the time each month to curate and write The Istanbulist for you. It would be a huge help if you could like (hit the ❤️ button in the banner above)/restack/share or recommend my publication as it makes it more visible on the ever busier Substack platform. Even better, would be to consider becoming a paid subscriber. Love Lucy Xx
Now in its eighth year, the Women in Art Prize is dedicated to empowering and celebrating women artists across painting, sculpture, print, drawing and photography by providing a platform that recognises their creativity, innovation and contributions to the art world. This year’s panel of brilliant judges includes Nazy Vassegh, Irene Pouliassi and Lisa Gray. Entry opens on 8th March which is of course International Women’s Day.
Siena: The rise of painting, 1300-1350
The National Gallery, London
8 March to 22 June 2025
This exhibition is one of my 2025 highlights — and for good reason. Through over 100 exhibits made by artisans working in Siena, Naples, Avignon and beyond, it explores the crossover in creative energy between painters, metalworkers, weavers and carvers in early 14th-century Europe. It will also reveal how four gold-ground panel painters — Duccio, Simone Martini and the brothers Pietro and Ambrogio Lorenzetti — turned Siena into a crucible of devotional art. Divine. Book tickets here.
Books worth a place on your coffee table
I recently wrote about seven new books that will delight the art, design and travel lover in your life, while also adding a stylish update to even the best-dressed rooms. From a new interiors bible to a sizzling Matisse drama, my round-up of the best coffee table books of 2025 is now live. Tell me yours via DM or comments below.
Spring into style with these new season must-haves
Not strictly art, design or travel, but these are all on my wish list
This Murano jug will add a pop of colour to spring tablescapes
My parched winter skin needs this retinol serum to soften and brighten it
This pink and orange mug will bring joy to early morning cuppas
I’m eyeing up this pair of ‘Pebble’ earrings set with colourful crystals placed to look like a winking face
Suede is everywhere this season. Enter Savette’s pink pochette. If only…
These striped napkins from the new Zara Home Editions Collection
TEFAF Maastricht
Maastricht, Holland
15 to 20 March 2025
Featuring over 260 of the world’s leading dealers, TEFAF Maastricht is a showcase of the finest art works currently on the market. Spanning 7,000 years of art history, it presents antiques and Old Master paintings alongside sculpture, photography, design, contemporary art and more. I am so thrilled to have contributed to the fair’s print magazine once again this year. Pick up your copy onsite to read interviews with the inspirational collectors behind the Kremer Museum and the Hill Art Foundation. Not going? Happily, many of the stories will be published online later in the year.
Spotlight on Sapanca
London has the Cotswolds, Istanbul, I’ve recently discovered, has Sapanca, a lakeside resort town about one hour and forty-five minutes from the city. It’s not as charming as the Cotswolds, sure, but it’s a great place to escape frenzied city life for a night or two. A favourite with Istanbulites, it now also draws tourists and Turks from across the country looking to enjoy a little R&R in nature.
We walked around the lake, ate lots of fresh fish, hiked in the hills and returned feeling a little less frazzled then when we left. (There is a gondola from central Sapanca that takes you up into the pine-clad hills where you can enjoy all manner of outdoor activities like quad-biking, zip-lining and cycling. I would also recommend staying up here rather than in Sapanca itself as it’s far more beautiful and peaceful.) If only we’d known about this spot sooner!
London-based Gingerlily has made its name designing delicious silk bed linen, furnishings and accessories like eye masks, dressing gowns and travel pillows. I love everything they make but I’m particularly taken by their latest collection conceived in collaboration with illustrator Alice Edwards. Each piece features simple yet delicate hand-painted Forget Me Not and Lily of the Valley designs that will brighten your mood and fill your bedroom with joy. Perfect for a spring refresh.
Follow me on Instagram for more art, design & travel inspiration
Travel planning
Few spots along the Turquoise Coast have left such a lasting impression on me as Yazz Collective, a sleek boutique hotel and beach club in its own private cove, just six miles southwest of the charming resort town of Fethiye. In case you missed it, you can now read my full review here. It’s one to book now as the rooms go quickly.
And finally… it’s your last chance, Istanbulites, to catch the brilliant Georg Baselitz exhibition at the Sabanci Museum (until 16 March).