I love movies for many reasons: they have the power to bring to “life” history, fantasy, tales, interpretations of the present and visions of the future; they allow us for a couple of hours to be immersed in another world, forgetting ours sometimes, making us think about others.
I think one of their biggest achievements, is that they make us dream and in that way we try to replicate elements of what we see in them into our lives, thus becoming a source of inspiration. Some of them create trends which alter our perception and understanding of reality.
As humans our beings are always related to architecture and interior design; when the screen shows this connection in such a way that is new, special, different and appealing it creates a sort of model that has to be copied, reproduced as it encapsulates the spirit of the moment. Is not this the closest the screen can be to art?
I would like to mention some movies that I think have proved how influential they can be in altering the taste and appreciation of the surroundings of people’s homes and spaces in general.
Gatsby’s room exudes luxury, opulence, certainly a taste that takes us back to the glory of art deco as one of the styles that epitomises wealth and savoir fair in every detail.
In a moment where luxury is being understood as excess in the use of gold, crystals, silks and complicated forms this design shows how balance between matt and polished surfaces, balance between curves and straight lines bring a huge impact to the look of this harmonious space. Of course we cannot forget the important role the double height and the beautiful mezzanine play.
So, equally as important as the materials for getting that feeling is the relaxed and confident use of the space without constrains or fears of “the property losing value if it were to be sold”. That is where the biggest luxury manifests itself in this bedroom.
This is one of the most beautiful movies I have seen.
I chose this image as it shows how important the use of colour in a space is and how it can talk about the inner world and needs of its occupier.
The perfectly arranged colour scheme of this bedroom gives that sense of a cocoon, a space to dream, to feel protected, safe. It yells strength, tenderness and care for others, an almost naive and somehow childish understanding of life (pay attention to the lamps and the paintings). You need to see the movie so you can understand how accurate this bedroom expresses Amelie. I won’t spoil it for you.
Yes, yes I know, I know it is not a movie… yet.. but I’m sure there is going to be one sooner or later. So let me be a visionary.
I had to talk about how this American show has revolutionised our sense of aesthetics, fashion and even morals. Do you recognize this flat? It is Don Draper’s one.
The use of colour (orange, browns and creams) and the predominance of straight lines talk about an advanced taste for the time. I think the appeal for Scandinavian design nowadays owes somethng to this appealing scheme. Hopefully the kitsch touch using the swan bronze figure as a planter is not going to be taken. The 60’s was not an era considered to have an exquisite taste after all, so let’s leave some elements behind please.
This movie is painfully beautiful in every detail, every frame. It is homage to beauty, not just its relationship to physical things: architecture, interiors, objects but how it relates to love, friendship, anguish, despair and finally to the mischievous playfulness of destiny.
Probably one of the elements that make this film particularly “perfect” is the need to pursue a constant balance in every aspect. In this picture we can see how what seems to be open architecture is being framed by vertical or horizontal panels of wood that brings the intimacy back to the house. The strong accent of yellows is tamed by browns and blacks.
This duality and the perfect photography make a visual pleasure of this movie but to get the balance right you need to be prepared for some pain too.
This is one of the most extraordinary films I have seen, aesthetically and existentially speaking. It shows what is called a “retrofitted” future developed into a complex plot.
One of the spaces that has impressed me the most in films is this office: dark, oppressive, majestic in the use of that range of Mesopotamian columns with the view of that futuristic city at the back, a lonely and devastating vision of the future where light does not play a starring role.
What makes it so seductive to me is the use of old elements with new materials and forms which brings that kind of nostalgic future to the present. To be more postmodern than that… difficult!
I wanted to finish my small brief with a little bit of humor using the living room of one of the tasteless families we have ever seen on screen, a clear example of what we should not do if we want a beautiful home: using it as if we do not have space at all, so pushing all the furniture against the walls, avoiding any other sofa, arm chair, etc that could inspire human communication to make therefore the TV screen become the “other”. In their defence I could say they have chosen a harmonious colour scheme, which is not my personal taste but at least it’s not unpleasant. Have I said too much?
