Stijl-ish

It's amazing how really inspiring exhibitions just keep on, well, inspiring.

It's been nearly eighteen months since I saw the van Doesburg exhibition at the Tate Modern (I've already written about it here) - but I'm still feeling the after effects today. A couple of new acquisitions have brought it back to mind.

Like this.

Which really makes me think about some of the less well known artists that were shown. I'd never heard of Ilya Bolotowsky before, but his use of colour is very exciting. Paintings like this one take the classic forms of 'De Stijl', but elevate them with a very sensual ,stimulating palette

This blanket has an equally compelling colour range. Lilac, yellow and two tones of brown? Very unusual. The man I bought it from claimed it was Scandinavian, but I think it's probably a classic American camp blanket. Wherever it's from, it's a beauty.

Then there's this little darling.

Which totally reminds me of some of van Doesburgs archectural projects, like his design for the cinema and dance hall at, L'Aubette in Strasbourg.

It's actually a card table that has had lino inset into it. I've never been much of a fan of lino - as it has too many bad connotations of damp loos and shabby kitchens circa 1974 - but I may have to rethink that. The work on this table makes me want to start creating 30's inspiring patchwork lino floors in my bathroom, cubist lino-covered furniture, linoleum light fittings...

Stop! I'm getting carried away. I need to calm down and have a cup of tea.

I'm not sure that van Doesburg would approve of that pompom though...

Undesigner Furniture

I have to admit, I'm something of a design snob. An inverted design snob, that is.

The minute that I find out that a piece of furniture that I am admiring is by a 'name designer' or 'collectable', I immediately lose interest and move on. Mostly because those pieces are out of my price range, but also because 'designer' pieces, by their very nature, aren't unique. Having an original Le Corbusier Chaise Longue may signal your great taste and wealth, but with thousands of them in circulation, it's hardly a reflection of a singular vision. (See? I told you I was a snob).

However, when it comes to a beautiful piece of design that has no pedigree, background or provenance - I'm all ears. In fact, if the object happens to have been crafted without much of a conscious design - better still.

Here are three examples of what I mean. All come from Spitalfields Antique Market.

This little treasure was found at Andrew Coram's stall - who couldn't tell me much about it. Apparently it came from a house filled with props - but there's no indication of how it came into existence. I've never seen anything quite like it.

I particularly love the 'Eiffel' style construction, and the faded yellow/red colourway. Take that, Ray and Charles Eames!

And speaking of excellent modernist design couples, Steve and Edele Sorrell (aka the Eames of Bognor), sourced this simple yet effective picnic table for me.

The real beauty is in its elegant way of folding up. The perfect way to travel in style.

Finally - a 'copyist's stand' from Jamie at Fish island Antiques. Not only very practical for transcribing music or copying documents - scanners are so bourgeois, non?- but also a gorgeous piece of wooden sculpture.

Big names (and the big prices they fetch) are all very well, but for me, 'Undesigner furniture' is a far more satisfying and soulful way to kit out your home.

Vintage Transformation

I passed this shop three times on three different days last week, before finally and excitedly finding the door open. Yves Andrieux and Vincent J Albert have been busy opening their second Parisian boutique, on the left bank. While this one which also houses their atelier is in the Rue Charlot. They specialize in transforming all kinds of vintage textiles into tempting goodies, from mens and womens wear to accessories and home furnishings.





Gaudy printed 50's curtain fabrics are contrasted with military surplus, all around the atmospheric boutique the raw materials are piled up and used to create levels to display and frame the innovative products.



These Patchwork floor cushions and tote bags are made from old army kit bags.





A collection of t-shirts with appliques of chunky vintage lace and crochet. Unfortunately (for me) they only come in womens sizes.


for more information www.yvesandrieux-vincentjalbert.com

London Design Week Top Five : Ubiquity and Obscurity.

Our final two Design Week picks are closely related - and to be honest, one wasn't even officially a part of the festivities. But it was probably the most inspiring thing that we saw all week, so we couldn't resist dropping it in.

It's this chair from two colombia road, about which we know...nothing. According to the proprietor, it's probably Danish, and definitely mid-century. But he had never seen it before, and it's certainly new to us.

The simplicity of the design, the generosity of the proportions and the harmony of the materials are impossible to fault. It's that rare thing - an unknown design classic, by a mystery designer. Anyone out there know who made it (and where we can buy a set)? We'd love to know.

In contrast, there's no question who our next choice was designed by. It was impossible to miss this beautiful settle designed by Ilse Crawford, part of her Seating for Eating range with De La Espada. We actually managed to run into it three times in the space of two hours on our tour of the East End - but we like it so much, we could have seen it again and again without getting bored. A very clever fusion of Shaker simplicity with Ercol inspired modernity, this is a piece of furniture that will stand the test of time.

Salone Del Mobili - Craft Punk

Craft was surely one of the leitmotifs of this years Salone, but when Fendi linked it with Punk all preconceptions were turned upside down. Firstly, installed in the entry courtyard, was my friend Tomas Gabzdil Libertinys' welding installation. Over the period of the exhibit a welder gradually built up a vast bowl as a huge lathe turned around and layers and layers of weld were applied. A discrete sign informed us that the welders protective clothing was in fact made by Fendi! This made a dramatic welcome to the event.

Then, once inside the vast hanger like volume of the Spazio Fendi, we found the workshops of a group of artisans. Sarah Becker was working on her 'rebuild' project (above) She had come up with a desirable collection of bags and accessories, with leftover scraps from the Fendi production line.

Simon Hasan also using Fendi Scraps (above and below) was boiling pieces of leather, that were wrapped around forms to create a series of vases and receptacles. The smooth hardened forms were ethereal and curiously aesthetically pleasing.

Salone Del Mobile : Moroso

A hot african wind was blowing though the furniture fair this year and it was eminating from Moroso's showroom in Via Pontaccio ! This was the most vibrant stimulating heart warming show in town.



Moroso classics were covered in african wax prints, last years coloured woven string chairs were expanded upon, Fabulous photos were displayed as were exciting artworks by African artists.





The whole showroom throbbed with colour and energy, Patricia Moroso explained "Our intention is to showcase the creativity of a few of the great artists and exponents of contemporary African culture......because looking at Africa through the eyes of contemporary art, photography, architecture and design is perhaps the most appropriate way of approaching this vast, powerful continent, so creatively rich and diverse that today it is still one of western modernity's greatest sources of inspiration". We can't agree more.

Barn in the USA

I always admire people with a strong personal aesthetic. Whether someone loves 60's mod style or classical simplicity - if they truly get it right, it's always a pleasure to behold.

Of all my friends, I think that Christopher Griffith has the most all-encompassing visual point of view. As a photographer he has a very specific 'eye' - his work pares down everything he shoots to the most powerful graphic, textural shapes - almost to a point of abstraction. This sensibility can be seen in every part of his life. He dresses almost exclusively in black, white and grey. He decorates his home in monochromatic tones, using simple punchy shapes and surface texture to add interest. Everything he surrounds himself with looks like something out of a signature "Christopher Griffith" photograph.

Tempering the hard edges of Christopher's style is his girlfriend's equally refined vision. Rebecca O'Donnell is an amazingly talented art director, whose taste is similarly minimal - but whose love of modernism and simplicity helps to 'warm up' their shared spaces and add a slightly softer, more human touch. She's also a fabulous cook, who manages to even make her food look as beautiful as it tastes (that's the mark of a true art director, isn't it? When even the pies look like something out of a photoshoot)

So, when I was invited to visit their newly built barn in Upstate New York - I pretty much knew what to expect. Graphic lines, beautiful furniture, great food - blah blah blah. Even so, I was extremely impressed.

The space itself is incredible, with insanely high ceilings and the largest living room I think I've ever seen. The vertical and horizontal lines of the exposed beams serve to emphasise the scale of the place, and add the prerequisite graphic touch. Decoration is minimal, but specific - filled with pieces that manage to be both rugged and romantic at the same time.

Most importantly, the way that the barn utilises the natural light is extraordinary. The living rooms four huge windows allow the light to flood in from dawn to dusk, while every corner of the space is softly lit by additional windows. And the light that they benefit from is breathtaking. As you can see from this post's opening picture, the evening light is positively cinematic in its beauty.

As a demonstration of Christopher and Bec's particular aesthetics - the barn is a triumph. A brilliantly realised statement about who they are and what they find beautiful. One of the most inspiring spaces I've been into in many years.

See what I mean about the light? Crazy!

'Number 76' - Romantic Minimalism in Brussels

Recipe For Good Design

Take one classic Belgian House. Add one part of quirky Englishness and one part French cool. Throw in a large handful of nostalgia and a good pinch of modernism. Stir well and serve.

If you follow this recipe correctly, your result should look something like this.

I was very lucky to spend last weekend in this fabulous house in Brussels. It's owned by Justine Glanfield, a multi-talented designer (of, amongst other things, knitwear, children's clothes and interiors) and her husband Vincent Fournier - a brilliant photographer, whose strange and wonderful images fill me with awe.

It's an amazing place. High ceilings and large windows let the soft grey belgian light flood in, which perfectly compliment the interiors,. Justine has created a home filled with a sort of romantic minimalism - where the empty spaces are as beautiful as the furnishings. It's calm and evocative and very lovely.

'Number 76' can be used as a photographic location, and also functions as a B&B for the design savvy. It's website can be found at www.number76.be.

Archeology of the Future

Li Edelkoort is a 'trend guru'. During her illustrious career she has consulted with many of the top names across all disciplines in the design industries ( I also happen to have worked for her for most of the 90's!).  Last week I visited her 20 year retrospective at the Institut Neerlandais in Paris. An intriguing exhibition where she links the main themes she has worked on over the last 2 decades with the products of designers, in fashion, homes, cosmetics, advertising and art.

The show is displayed in a style which I can only describe as Edelkoortian, and is all in the best possible eclectic sophisticated taste. Li takes us on a journey through her personal and unusual world, using videos of her trend presentations with luscious provocative prints from her magazines, pieces of clothing, design objects, and clips from fashion shows.

The fourteen trends are a selection of the key lifestyle movements of the last twenty years, bridging the two centuries from 1990 to 2010: Body, Soul, Global, Local, Flora, Fauna, Urban, Rural, Armour, Amour, Abstraction, Narration, Nihilism, Hedonism

On until the 8th March and it's well worth the €4 entrance if you happen to be hanging out anywhere near St Germain in the coming weeks
Insitut Néerlandais
Centre culturel des Pays-Bas, 121, rue de Lille, Paris