Coffee Table by Barn in The City
I studied architecture in Caracas, city that received a huge influence of European design, particularly Italian during the 60’s and 70’s.
The effect of this phenomenon had a strong influence not just in the look of the city but in the way we were taught at university which shaped my appreciation and my understanding of design and beauty during those wonderful years of discovery.
The predominance of sleek design, use of wood, marble, metal, ceramics and fabrics created a long lasting impression on me. For an important part of the society this new aesthetics had a masculine appeal even more when you compare it with the more curvilinear heritage of previous styles like Art Nouveau and even part of Art Deco.
My first project when I get my degree was the detailing of the bathrooms and doors for the house of an architect, my boss by then. The design was inspired by the work of Richard Meir and the sleek forms of Art Deco.
Since then my style has been influenced by that background so when I visit fairs, shows and design events I’m always in the search of those materials and forms that are an eco of that universal and for me timeless, strong, elegant and seductive designs.
I’m after a masculine style.
This week is a great opportunity to follow its trace as it is one the most active weeks on London’s design calendar with shows, launch of new products, talks on design, exhibitions, etc.
London Design Festival 2015
Left: Panel in marble and metal by Orvi. Right: Tile in black terracota with blue cobalt and grey inlaid murano glass by Lapicida
It is very exciting to discover new products, materials, proposals etc and see how the profile of the interior design field is being shaped by those products that are leaving, those that stay and those that are emerging creating a map that certainly will serve as guide of where to go and what to do when analyzing my clients’ needs and the translation of these into the world of forms, colours, materials and finishes which is at the end of the day what an interior designer does.
There are many shows to see, many things to evaluate to be on track but there are a group of them that are a necessary reference to draw that map I mentioned earlier.
During these 2 weeks I would be sharing with you what I have discovered and my interpretation of those findings and how they are helping me to increase, modify, alter and expand the limits of that masculine style.
Left: coffee table by Officina Coppola. Right: Pendant light. SCP
Starting with this week with Decorex one of the most important shows for the design industry In London. My general assessment after visiting it that this show, as in its previous editions, likes to play on safe grounds so you are not going to find nothing or almost nothing extremely contemporary neither in furniture nor in proposals for interiors. Great importance has been given to materials: fabrics, wallpapers and flooring (wood, stone and rugs).
Fabrics by Liberty textiles
In reference to materials it is probably not a surprise how metals are taking over in furniture, paneling and flooring which I particularly like. In bits of lighting is where the XXI century can be seen and felt in a more straightforward way.
Pendant lamp by Kaia
In furniture a beautiful bench caught my attention for the skillfulness of its making and on fabrics I need to say Liberty’s traditional patterns are very appealing for a masculine style due their complex designs referencing to a multicultural reality resolved in a sophisticated manner.
Bench by Bodo Sperlein, London
The other show I visited is Focus, in Chelsea Harbour, where fabrics and wallpapers reign so focusing on these two it was a beautiful experience to see the exquisite wallpapers by Fromental, particularly the XX Century collection.
Pleasure fishes by Fromental. Wallpaper.
Terminologies are not rigid and untouchable, the term masculinity has changed and is changing and Interior design is showing it in the most possible beautiful way. These are just some of them.
