Time and Design

Arren Williams March 5, 2021

Well, despite everything, things have been a little busy. Dealing with a couple of design projects, including our own main floor bathroom (half bath, or powder room, depending on what part of the world you’re in), as well as launching the Spring/Summer ‘21 collection for Casa Cubista and the imminent launch of my new collab with Hudson’s Bay that’s a super-fun collection for bed, bath and beach.

Honestly though, I’m just thankful that Spring feels like it’s just around the corner, and warmer weather is on the way.

What’s been going on with you guys?

The promise of sunny days always makes me think of jute and seagrass rugs underfoot. I’m such a fan of their relaxed vibe and how they can really take the edge off a modern space. In fact, I just sourced an ace striped jute rug for a project that will see the light of day in the next couple of months.

But, GAH, if only I’d seen the fab scalloped jute rugs from Tigmi Trading sooner. Hello, yes, you read that right, SCALLOPED! That added detail just amps it all up that bit more, no? Anyhoo, Tigmi’s jute selection comes in both rectangular and round versions, in plain as well as with a single line of colour. Who’s gonna say no to that?

Okay, yes, Tigmi Trading is based in Australia, but thankfully they do ship worldwide. Oh, and to make you go even more bug-eyed, they just opened a stunner of a new showroom in Byron Bay that’s definitely worth your attention. Check it out here on The Design Files.

Photo: Scalloped jute rug with yellow detail at the Tigmi Trading showroom in Byron Bay.

The struggle is real when it comes to sourcing a small-scale corner mount sink that doesn’t eat up the entire room. In the end, I managed to find something for our space that both fit the bill, and the budget, on Wayfair. That’s all well and good, but how about finding something that completely hits a home run, from a design perspective?

I spotted this charmant petite toilette from GCG Architectes on Insta, and just fell in love with the sink they’d scored. How perfect for the space, with it’s eclectic mix of colour and pattern (the wallpaper is from Erismann, the tiles from Popham). But where is the sink from??? If anyone can let me know, please do, since I’m envisioning someone lugging it all the way home from a Parisian fleamarket.

UPDATE: GCG Architectes kindly dropped me a line to say that the fab sink was actually in the apartment, and that they were able to save it!

I adore a singular vision when it comes to interiors, and a full-on commitment to style. British photographer Rachel Smith shot Kentaro Poteliakhoff at home in his Hackney townhouse - the gloriously dubbed Villa des Narcisses - for the Observer Magazine, and I am living for it. What, your home doesn’t have a name? You better get on that…

Poteliakhoff is the owner of ROOMS, an interiors store and veritable treasure trove of kitsch, mid-mod and antiques, and I definitely admire his take-no-prisoners maximalist style. Beige is so, well, yesterday.

Hello, how are you?

Arren Williams December 7, 2020

Hey, how’s it going?

I must say I’m not sure where the time has flown to? We appear to rushing headlong towards the Holidays at breakneck speed, about to crash directly into 2021. Which, imho, can’t come soon enough.

Anyways, here are a few faves that have caught my eye over the last while.

Cheers, Arren

While I admire the Japandi look as much as the next person, I must admit all that predictable pale beigeness does leave me a little cold. It’s all too predictable, no?

Colour! Pattern! Verve! That’s what we need, and thanks to architect and interior designer Cosimo Bonciani, that’s what we’ve definitely got in this space. Hello wallpaper! Which appears to be vintage from Ub in Florence, giving me another reason to dream of travelling Italy, if only to poke through the thousands of rolls they have in stock.

The interior was designed by Bonciani for luxury shoe designer and creative director, Samuele Failli and definitely puts the wow in wowzah! Want more after this little tease? Then snap up Living Corriere’s 2020 no. 11 issue.

It suddenly feels like just about everyone is thinking about a bathroom renovation, and whether it’s large or small, the right faucet is key. Want a something that’s both stylish and simple? Well, Riobel recently launched their new Reflet collection with House of Rohl, and I was lucky enough to see these sculptural beauties up close.

Eveline Simard, one of the Canadian designers behind the collection, describes it as “Incorporating a soft, wavy surface, encased in a rigid frame, combining both the elegance and power of water.” Look closely, and you’ll spot the polished softly curved interior surface inspired by the movement of water, which looks extra chic when paired with the brushed finish framing the rest of the faucet.

If you’re asking me, I’d love to see it paired with simple clean-lined white fixtures all set against a super-bold marble or stone, like Ciot’s dark and stormy Hurricane Black slab.

Photo: Riobel Reflet’s full range of finishes

Every now and then I’m stopped in my tracks by something special, and the Nº180 Petite Cupboard by Avoirdupois left me completely gooped.

This little darling, made by designer/engineer James Stumpf in his SoHo studio, looks all sorts of stunners in statement-making green lacquer with burnished brass hardware. It’s giving me major Art Deco via Italian modernist vibes, and those curves!!! Score yourself a standout lamp and a vintage tray to corral your liquor bottles, and call it done. Oh, and if you want to really swoon, it’s even available in a double-wide version dubbed the Nº177 Grand Cupboard. Clock that here.

Of course there’s more to see… Check out the full collection here, and scope out the range of lacquer and woods the pieces are available in.

Photo: Nº180 Petite Cupboard in green lacquer

Pattern, Pattern, Chair

Arren Williams September 30, 2020

A fun part of my schedule this week was shooting remotely at home for Citytv’s Cityline. The subject was our principal bedroom, a space that had a forced renovation due to some major construction we endured over the summer.

Things have definitely changed in the space, and for the better for sure. I can’t wait to share the results with you, and it’s extra fun looking back at how the space looked when it was shot by Angus Fergusson for House & Home magazine more than 11 years ago.

Cheers, Arren

Dots and squares, oh my! Just say yes to this rather fab collab between creative consultants and 3D designers Terzo Piano and Or.nami wallpaper, which playfully toys with trompe-l'œil to stunning visual effect. Think simple graphic shapes and drop shadows inspired by architectural design.

Available in either vinyl or rather covetable silk, there are 4 designs in different colourways to whet your whistle - I’m already dreaming and scheming of a space where I can use them.

While one of my current projects includes a chic little bathroom in white and grey, this brand new collection by artist and designer Nathalie Du Pasquier for Mutina tiles definitely has me drooling.

More is definitely more here. Du Pasquier’s wonderfully barmy layering of pattern on pattern is key, with a perfect mix of fifties modernism and vintage designs all thrown together with gay abandon. And, if the 41 tiles in the Mattonelle Margherita collection aren’t enough, there’s also 11 coordinating paint colours for all you OCD design fans out there that want everything to match. Seriously.

Oh, and the art direction for the collection’s launch? It’s all feeling very cinematic and inspirational, and honestly I could happily post every single shot, but will show some restraint with the three faves below. Scope out the rest of the collection, here.

Wall: Star, Stripes, Marghe Black. Floor: Double Red, Stripes.

Wall: Marghe White, Frame Black, Marghe Half White, Marghe Half Black, Line. Floor: Petals, Line. Margherita Paint: Sand Matt.

Wall: Marghe Light Blue, Stripes, Star, Kite White, Square Black, Marghe Black. Floor: Marghe Light Blue, Double Red, Stripes.

Am I the only person that dreams about chairs? This one in particular sent me down a bit of an internet rabbit hole, to be sure.

I first spotted the vintage originals in this stunning apartment in Florence, with masterfully edited interiors by Massimo Adario (click here to see more). Though they couldn’t look more at home in this space with views across the Arno, these spectacularly curvy seats were originally designed by Czech architect Jan Bočan for furnishing the Embassy of Czechoslovakia in Stockholm in 1972.

While the originals, made for Bočan by Thonet in lacquered bentwood and cane, deservedly fetch a pretty penny, I was fascinated to see that new versions of the chair are de rigueur in all sorts of chic interiors in Australia.

Available in both black and natural from the folks at Worn, and stunningly well priced I might add (I did the conversion), the sad news is that they won’t ship outside of Australia. But, kudos to Worn for their commitment to ethical sustainability, since their Cane Loungers are made of non-chemically treated materials harvested from sustainably managed plantations. Plus, for every chair sold a native tree is planted to help offset carbon emissions.

Brownie points to whoever can send me a source closer to home…

Photo: Laura Fantacuzzi and Maxime Galati-Fourcade

Do you say Fall, or is it Autumn?

Arren Williams September 22, 2020

And… suddenly it’s Fall.

I don’t know about you, but those last few days of summer felt especially poignant this year. Soon we’ll be well and truly bundled up, socially distancing outside, but until then there are still a few softening glimmers of sunlight to remind us of warmer days.

Cheers, Arren

Despite, well, the way things are Paris Design Week still managed to inspire earlier this month. I totally stan for India Mahdavi, and this wildly bright, fun and entirely OTT space from her did not disappoint. You’ll most likely know Mahdavi’s work by Sketch restaurant in London, but puh-lease don’t judge her for it’s pretty-in-pink Insta success.

Here she’s altogether more esoteric and artistic, mixing Chris Wolston’s utterly crazy/fab anthropomorphic Nalgona Colombian wicker chairs, fabric from textile artists Les Crafties, lighting by WonderGlass and a tile-topped table from Maximilien Pellet. It’s basically a fever dream of design fabulosity.

I spent a thoroughly fascinating time peeking behind the curtain on the work, inspirations and point of view of design firm Campbell-Rey today when they were interviewed by M. Emilio Pimentel-Reid for Interiors Academy. Helmed by Duncan Campbell and Charlotte Rey, the young award-winning firm tackles both interiors and product design with aplomb.

Their Francesco side table is definitely deserving of ooh-ooh-aahs with it’s mix of Connemara green marble, yellow travertine and patinated brass-on-steel legs. First commissioned from Campbell-Rey by interior designer Francis Sultana, the pert piece is now part of their ongoing furniture collection, which they let slip in the interview they have plans to grow.

Oh, and that snap below? Well, let’s just say that paired with The Rug Comapny’s Key Shadow carpet, the Francesco table looks all the more stunning.

Watch the IGTV interview here.

Post-reno we’re in the midst of rejigging our double-height gallery wall. The walls are freshly painted (hello Benjamin Moore White Dove) but the question is, what will stay, and what will go, and what could replace those bits and bobs that have fallen out of favour? Definitely these!

The items in question are Abstract Masks from People of the Sun, an award winning social enterprise in Malawi that connects traditional artisans with a world wide design audience. A collab with designer and artist Julia Gamborg Nielsen, these stunners are a graphic interpretation of African masks, skillfully woven of palm leaves. I. Want. Them. ALL.

There’s lots more must-haves from People of the Sun to check out right here.

Elizara, one of the master weavers behind the Abstract Masks collection

Style, served with tea

Arren Williams July 28, 2020

Well, hello! Even though we’ve packed up and decamped to the basement while undergoing a renovation at home, I’m still on the hunt for a few stylish bits and bobs that have caught my eye.

Cheers, Arren

Fashion designer turned ceramicist Harvey Bouterse knows how to turn a look. His enigmatic Insta catalogues his latest creations, with a Tumblr that expands on that point of view, letting you tumble down a very stylish rabbit hole with a look into both his work and other design inspirations.

The hand-built ceramic pieces, each with their individually applied decoration and patterns, play into Bouterse’s love of primitive forms and Brutalism. The result is sculpturally biomorphic shapes finished in hefty textural mid-century glazes that add even more character to his vases, lamps, candleholders and creatures. Quite the menagerie indeed, which - under the Wouter Harvey umbrella - is currently on show in the historic Perignem ceramic workshop in Beernem, Belgium, alongside the work of Wouter Hoste and Katleen Vinck.

The home of stylist Erena Te Paa is a stunner, filled with earthy organic pieces that manage to feel both stylishly on-trend and effortlessly collected. The angular open space is a mix of naturals and neutrals, making it easy on the eye, though she’s always on the lookout for something new to add. The latest is a vintage stool turned side table that fits perfectly into the tone-on-tone space - See is sliding around the room in a fun stop-go-animation here.

And, once we’re all travelling again, you might want to check out Te Paa’s cool little holiday rental - Akito Studio - kitted out in her inimitable style. Yet another reason to add New Zealand to your must-see list…

I’m loving London-based artist and photographer Max Siedentopf’s kooky and fun #accidentalinfluencer campaign for Gucci, where everyday people accidentally match their interiors. While the shots are ostensibly all about the updated Gucci Tennis 1977 sneaker, my fave is the stripe action happening in this shot, where the t-shirt matches the mugs. Though, if you’re a weirdo design geek like me, you’ll recognize that those aren’t just any old striped mug, they’re classic British Cornishware mugs from T.G. Green.

Cornishware started its striped life in 1924 in a simple blue and white combo, but have expanded over the years into 11 different hand-painted colour options, including this zingy Adder Green shade. In sizes up to a whopping 15oz, the mugs can handle an ocean of tea (or coffee, if you’re so inclined), and can even be personalized. Check out the full collection here.

Maximalism, Pattern and Prints

Arren Williams July 14, 2020

All this sunshine and hot weather has me craving intense colour and pattern. I guess you could say I’m feeling very Cabana magazine…

Cheers, Arren

I can count the number of times I’ve been to Calgary on one hand, so certainly not enough to get a real feel for the place. That’s definitely got to change, especially after scoping out the home of designer Martine Ast, who works at renowned interior designer Paul Lavoie’s design firm.

It’s certainly a complete lewk - Colour, pattern and fun (yes, fun!) tossed with a practiced eye into an untouched 70’s home that Ast found in Calgary’s Varsity Estates ‘hood. And the art! That living room wall painted black is such a smart design move, since it’s a perfect setting for 12 bright abstracts by artist Aron Hill.

You’ll spot vintage pieces throughout, including the barmy trellis and bird print chairs in the living room (yes, the fabric is original). Moving on to the dining room, where the standout Kelly green bureau was an old family piece that Ast had lacquered into something altogether more eye catching. Want more? Read all about the project here.

Designer Anthony Gianacakos is a self-described Maximalist. One look at the NYC rental apartment kitchen he tackled with painters tape, a few cans of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and a wild dose of creativity is all you need to figure that out.

The look was inspired by a trip to Lisbon - think tiles and grafitti - and I’m loving the commitment to colour and pattern in such a small space. Taking on a project like this is no mean feat, and included painting the cabinets by hand in that zingy cobalt blue, not to mention taping-off the tile pattern and then free-handing the orange squiggles above.

Gianacakos’s interior design projects are all imbued with a similarly bold aesthetic, so check out his portfolio here when you have a chance. He’s also designed prints for fabrics and wallpapers in his signature maxed-out style, and you’ll spot his linen Mosaico print on that sweet banquette tucked into a corner of the kitchen.

While art of any kind lifts us up and makes us both think and feel, for me it’s the graphic power of screen prints that have a direct line to my heart. I’ve loved checking out the Black Women of Print account on Instagram, founded by printmaker and visual artist Tanekeya Word as a place to discover and celebrate Black women printmakers, past, present and future.⁣⁣

While the work itself is stellar, I do love a look behind the scenes - Word’s own mood board allows a peek into her artistic process and includes her Black is Beautiful print. You’ll spot a rack of drying prints inspired by Hue Magazine by artist Angela Pilgrim, and that final shot shows artist Stephanie Santana at work on one of her pieces influenced by old family photos.

For more on the artists involved, click here to read a feature in Pressing Matters magazine. Even better - buy a print or two directly from the artists and get them up on your walls.

Photo: Multi Color Hue Print, Angela Pilgrim

Photo: Artist Stephanie Santana at work on a print

Bold, Blue, Boho

Arren Williams July 9, 2020

Part of the fun for me in putting these posts together is the hunt. Trawling through everything that’s out there to find the creativity that makes me think, yeah, there is so much great stuff worth digging into. So, I hope you’re enjoying reading these missives as much as I enjoy pulling the threads on the things that I find inspiring.

Scroll up! Today we leap between the creative scenes in London and Paris, and then finish up with a little something in Montreal.

Cheers, Arren

Can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of Bold British Design from photographer Sarah Hogan and writer and creative director Emilio Pimentel-Reid. It’s chockablock with creative talents and inspiring interiors and a must-have for any design-driven bookshelf or well-appointed coffee table.

Pimentel-Reid captured exactly why this book’s theme resonates with me in an interview with interior designer Kit Kemp for her blog, “The designers are bold not just in the sense of being colourful or quirky like illustrator Camilla Perkins, they are deeply original, fearless in their interior choices, either breaking the mould or pushing the boundaries of creativity. Designer and environmentalist, Sebastian Cox, for example has his own woodland from which he harvests timber for his furniture and even grows light shades out of fungus.

They are also bold in personal ways, often unconstrained by rules, joyful (none more so than British Nigerian Yinka Ilori) and courageous both in how an individual product is made or how disparate elements are combined in a room. They also each exemplify many of the characteristics that make this country unique: a sense of humour and an appreciation for history, craft and modernity.”

While you can definitely snap up a copy on Amazon, please support your local independent bookstore!

I’ll always applaud a well edited vignette, and this one is - excuse my French - some next level shit. It’s found in the Parisian Directoire period apartment of fashion designer Alexis Mabille, and is actually in the kitchen - Can you even? A close perusal of the shelf reveals a collection that includes artwork by Adrien Dirand and Louis-Marie de Castelbajac, along with two Alberto Giacometti plaster heads. But the pop, if you will, is that surprising slew of classic blue Wedgwood Jasperware. Grandmothers beware, your china cabinet may imminently get raided…

With interiors by go-to French architecture and design firm, Humbert & Poyet, you’ll definitely want to see more. Head here to AD for the full reveal, then click here to see a more relaxed, personal take on the space by The Socialite Family.

You can count me as a new fan of Montreal-based design firm, Anthology Creative Studio. Helmed by Kathia Lagacé-Nadon & Karim Guelmi, the firm’s interiors feel perfectly layered and collected over time, and are a natural fit with the #slowdesign movement.

And this kitchen? Well, it’s a stunner, with acres of countertops and dark blue cabinetry, not to mention all the copper fixturing. While copper has long been touted as a hot metal tone for interiors, it’s rare to see it used so well. I know you want to see more, so click here to see the rest of what Anthology Creative Studio has dubbed their Bohemian Vintage apartment.

Something old and something new

Arren Williams July 7, 2020

Grace Bonney, the founder of Design*Sponge, has always been a thoughtful voice in the world of design. Now she’s stepping back from her influential Instagram account and allowing important new voices to take centre stage. As Bonney explains, “Starting this week I will be working to turn this from a blog-turned-personal platform into a community page dedicated to the voices and work of designers of color.”

Up first on the Design*Sponge Insta is designer NeKeia McSwain, the president of the Black Interior Designer’s Network and owner of Kimberly + Cameron Interiors, who’ll be sharing her style with the account’s 890,000 followers.

Cheers, Arren

O.M.G. Those chairs!

This snap is of one of designer Benito Escat’s latest finds, a set of vintage Missoni rattan dining chairs. I could decide to stop right here for today, and it would be fine - They’re just that good!!!

Escat and his partner, Pol Castells, are the creative duo behind Spanish interior design firm, Quintana Partners, whose look is defined by layered history and vintage fabulousness. It’s all about the patina, baby!

You can glimpse one of their latest projects, hotel La Bionda on Spain’s Costa Brava coast, in that second snap below. Oh, and the Missoni chairs? If you fancy your own, you might just be able to score a set right now on Chairish…

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I do love a good kitchen design, especially one as handsome as this in a palette of mixed woods with a few hits of gold and black for good measure. We can thank designer Nikki Klugh for this thoughtfully planned space, but for me I’m completely taken with those herringbone floors.

Which got me thinking as to what else was out there for wood flooring. Parquet, anyone? While the name might strike fear into most, and make you think of golden oak flooring in 80’s condos, there is lots out there that’s worth a look.

While it’s not strictly parquet, the Bloc wood tiles by Studio Job for Bisazza, certainly have a similar vibe and backstory. It’s that feel, for sure, but so much more contemporary. And hexagon - yes, please. Anything hexagon with a trompe-l'œil effect will definitely get a high-five from me.

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We’ll finish off today with a bit of inspo from Ikea, with a look forward to what our Swedish friends will be releasing in their new catalogue in August.

The styling is on point and I’m loving the colour palette, and hey, I’m already a fan of the mid-century inspired Rönninge chair in that great mossy green. Oh, and that storage workhorse, the Ivar shelving system, gets an on-trend update with swish bamboo doors. What’s not to love?

Hot seats and beachside villas

Arren Williams July 2, 2020

It feels hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk, so thank heavens friends introduced us to Botica’s Spanish Valencian Orange Gin. Poured over lots of ice and served with good tonic (or, in our case Italian mandarin soda), it’s the perfect antidote to this July heat.

Cheers, Arren

How incredible! Designed as an intensely creative endeavour between Thabisa Mjo of Mash.T Design Studio and South African furniture makers Houtlander, the Hlabisa Bench features a stunningly sinuous pink basketweave backrest woven by Zulu master weaver Beauty Nxongo.

Watch Nxongo at work on the bench here, working in locally harvested palm that is all dyed by hand. Oh, and if pink is not your thing? The Hlabisa Bench is also available in a slightly more sober, though no less graphic pattern - Take a gander here.

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Image: Beauty Ngxongo, master weaver of Zulu baskets, and Stephen Wilson of Houtlander

“A creative village by the ocean where music, art, design, food and wellness play together,” is an apt description of the ace new Potato Head hotel in Bali. Sustainability is the focus, with award winning architecture designed by OMA and collabs on furnishings with big name design talents like Faye Toogood and Max Lamb. There’s a lot to love, but - thanks to the current situation - we’ll have to wait to enjoy it as the project is in hibernation until later this year.

In the meantime, you can ogle some of the fab pieces included in the rooms, like Lamb’s Study Chair. The cool seat is made by local Balinese craftspeople from a confetti-patterned recycled plastic material from Smile Plastics (watch the video below).

Each chair comprises of 833 recycled plastic bottles - seriously stylish and sustainable or, as Potato Head would say, #GoodTimesDoGood.

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We’re dialling in more of those summer vibes with interior designer Alicia Ruach’s take on a laid-back beachside villa..

As Rauch explained to House & Home, “I love the contemporary beach house vibe! The warm wood tones and crisp whites juxtaposed with black accents add a punch of drama and interest. This style is a sophisticated coastal retreat that you would find on the picturesque coasts of South Africa.”

It’s good to dream, right?

Little adjustments

Arren Williams June 18, 2020

Today I was happy to wear a mask, have my temperature checked, answer a questionnaire and leave my contact info to shop for lighting for a client. Glad to make these little adjustments to my reality as things start to slowly wake up.

And you know what? That’s fine by me.

Cheers, Arren

What’s cooking, Calgary? Well, apparently Jenelle Erickson and Stephanie Smith of SmithErickson definitely know their way around a fab kitchen design.

This first space is giving me all the wows, especially since its a major reno of a ho-hum 90’s home (I’m imagining a dull beige ‘before’). There’s so much great stuff going on here. Not just the colour palette of white, dove and dark grey, but just about every darned thing.

That second kitchen has all of the classics, with the white on white, shaker panels, hits of black and open shelves. But hello, the mitred tiles giving you the frame around the window? That’s the kind of attention to a simple but special design detail that I love - It takes thought, people!

Okay, so a few folks out there spotted artist Kendra Dandy’s Leopard Coat print in Seana Freeman’s interior, and dropped me a line to say they were longtime fans of Dandy’s work. So, admittedly I have obvs been under a rock!

Yep, you can def call me a new fan of her direct, vibrant and painterly style. But, did you know you can also get her work as wallpaper, too? Check out a couple of my fave florals below, available here through Surface View in the UK. They ship worldwide, so no excuses! With 40 styles on offer, I bet you’ll find one that speaks to you and, as Dandy explains on her Insta, “Getting paid is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Score the rest of her artwork through Society 6.

Image: Watercolour Floral Mural, Orange and Flowers Mural by Kendra Dandy from the Bouffants and Broken Hearts Collection at Surface View — Image: Watercolour Floral Mural, Orange and Flowers Mural by Kendra Dandy from the Bouffants and Broken Hearts Collection at Surface View

Photo: All the Flowers Mural by Kendra Dandy from the Bouffants and Broken Hearts Collection at Surface View — Photo: All the Flowers Mural by Kendra Dandy from the Bouffants and Broken Hearts Collection at Surface View

There are those that can dress a nice table, and then there’s Eric Goujou, the owner of storied tabletop retailer La Tuile à Loup in Paris. For Goujou, the shop’s collection is very much in the vein of that perfect French expression - Art de la table.

With a revolving selection from 30+ French artisans, as well as vintage finds, La Tuile à Loup is a favourite of designers far and wide, and rightly so. You’ll spot Aptware, a classic marbled faience inspired by the coloured soils of Apt, a small town not far from Marseille, as well as painted patterns and splashy, naturalistic designs. Keep an eye out for more loveliness on the store’s Insta, here, which will have you jonesing to host your next dinner party, whenever that might be. Le sigh.

Image: The eye of Tuile à Loup, Eric Goujou

Colour is a political statement

Arren Williams June 16, 2020

Today, I’m choosing to focus on the good news out of the US, with the Supreme Court finally ruling that the language of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

And, we’ve been listening to a great Spotify playlist - Transcend - that features transgender, non-binary and gender-fluid artists and is well worth listening to, on repeat.

Cheers, Arren

“Fuck greige,” so says Seana Freeman, who sees the inoffensive non-colour as a cop-out when describing her punchy fuchsia home office. This tint makes a statement, just like Freeman when describing how embracing colour can be a political act,

“People of color have a different relationship with color. Its part of our cultural heritage! Por ejemplo, long before it was trending, black women have been wearing vibrant clothes, nails & hair. Hues like magenta pop against our skin. But often, especially if we are climbing the career ladder, we leave our magenta at home and well... wear greige.”

Read the rest here on Freeman’s Insta, the Geeky Glamohenian, which follows her take on style and the decorating of her art-filled home in North Carolina. Oh, and speaking of art, the standout piece in this shot is Leopard Coat by artist, Kendra Dandy. To see the rest of her space, pop over here to HGTV.

This Toronto home, by architect Tura Cousins Wilson of Ursa architecture and design studio, also embraces colour. This time though, in memory of the architect’s formidable grandmother, Violeta. The Jamaican-born matriarch loved the bright yellow of her country’s flag, so he paid tribute to her with the front porch painted in an eye-popping hue.

While the exterior stays true to its Edwardian roots, inside things are decidedly light, bright, airy and modern. I’m all about that double height living space. Plus, I have to mention the vividly colourful portrait by artist Rajni Perera of Violeta watching the to-ing and fro-ing beneath, all while holding a machete.

And the bathrooms! Sleek and simple, and so smart, with black grout creating a grid pattern with square white tiles. See the rest of Granny’s House here in Ursa’s portfolio.

Tura Cousins Wilson is a founding member of BAIDA, the Black Architects + Interior Designers Association of Canada.

Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Destiny Seymour in an Anishinaabe interior designer who also makes a line of handmade goods for the home called Indigo Arrows. Indigenous pottery and bone tool patterns uncovered in Manitoban archeological digs inspire Seymour’s textile designs, which are printed on linen and made up into cushions, quilts and napkins.

Her Copper Arrows lumbar pillows are a fave of mine, but I totally love the made to order Drum Stools. Upholstered in wool blankets, with tops and tails in maple, the stools come in three sizes. Shop the full Indigo Arrows collection here.

Photo: Copper Arrows pillows and Grandmother Moon Quilts

Design for a movement, not a moment

Arren Williams June 9, 2020

I’ve been quiet for the last week, taking time to step back, check my privilege and ask how the ugliness of racism affects the design world (it does), and how I can work to become actively anti-racist.

People I follow and admire on Instagram asked a simple question - Why don't I know more black designers? And then I reflected on the fact that since the blog has been up and running again, I haven’t featured one designer of colour. Not one.

I must do better, and will be working within the design community to make space for BIPOC creatives, to discover and celebrate new and talented voices, and be part of positive change within the industry I love.

Follow, donate to and support these groups, and hire their talents for your projects -

Black Artists + Designers Guild

Black Interior Designers Network

Black Canadian Designers

And, since it can’t be said enough - #BlackLivesMatter

Cheers, Arren

Gobsmacked is such a lovely word, meaning the feeling of intense surprise. To me it’s a good thing, since it means I was stopped in my tracks by something so utterly fab I’m practically speechless.

That word is a perfect fit for this room by interior designer Rodney Lawrence, in a Tribeca loft designed by him for a young collector. While much of the loft is bright and white, the private spaces revel in rich, saturated colours. Here de Gournay’s stunning Whistler Peacocks gold-on-silk wallpaper definitely does the trick, set alongside a low and louche velvet sectional and agate print cushions.

Scroll down and you’ll see Lawrence’s passion for art history and contemporary design blend seamlessly in the space he created for the Brooklyn Heights Designer Showhouse. It’s another showstopper for sure. You’ll note the perfectly placed art by Omar Chacon, Patrick Carrara, Sam Still and Georges Noël is not an afterthought, they carry the same weight and importance as the rest of the furnishings in the room. Love.

Thanks to Jordan and Russell at 2LG Studio, I discovered the work of young designer, Mac Collins whose award winning Iklwa chair is a definite design classic.

Just. Look. At. It.

Collins describes this standout chair perfectly on his website - “Drawing inspiration from his African Cultural heritage, Mac has created a furniture piece which is in tune with the ideas of Afrocentrism and Afrofuturism. Through a composition of powerful, spear-like forms, an encompassing backrest and a vivid, ultramarine hue, the designer has created a visually intense object designed to dominate and overwhelm its surroundings.”

Up next for Collins? A collab on seating with Benchmark furniture.

I love the work of illustrator and animator Aurélia Durand - It’s graphic, direct and political.

Snap up her Black Lives Matter poster here, your walls will thank you.

Plus, I’ve added This Book Is Anti-Racist to my reading list. Written by anti-bias and anti-racist educator Tiffany Jewell, the 20 lessons within are illustrated by Durand. You’ll find it on Amazon, but please do support your independent bookstore to pick up a copy. Speaking of support, through the month of June the publisher, Quarto Group, is donating 100% of their proceeds to Black Lives Matter and Color of Change.

Makeunders and Patterns

Arren Williams May 26, 2020

Of course I love design, but I have to admit I am a total geek when it comes to science fiction.

So, I was rather pleased to discover that starting back in 1981 NPR had recorded a 14-hour radio drama of the Star Wars trilogy, and you can still listen to it today! Check all the info here.

I plan on popping on the headphones and taking a trip to a galaxy far, far away.

Cheers, Arren

While I might appear to constantly be blatting about coming through with colour, I still appreciate interiors that take a more subtle approach. This living room by designer Dylan Farrell hits that mark, but each piece in this space is a PIECE and, to make that work definitely takes a deft hand.

Curves are key. Look for languidly fluid lines in the of-the-moment Pierre Augustin Rose sofa, and hello, who’d say no to shearling ball toss cushions? And then things stay softly swirly yet sculptural in the handsome Arp table in brass and marble and in the Lady Leveller chair, both designed by Farrell.

This interior is justifiably up for a Belle Magazine and Coco Republic ‘Reader’s Choice’ interior design award. Scope the rest of it out here.

Let’s get multicultural. Italian designer Elisa Passino was born in Venice, is based in Brussels, and designs stunning tiles made in a small town in Portugal.

I don’t know about you, but tiles definitely speak to me, and in designing an interior, there’s nothing more fun than sourcing and scheming patterns in tile for kitchens and baths. Of course, I’m totally jonesing to use some of Passino’s tiles in a project. Her work is right on trend, mixing Art Deco forms and architectural shapes with a modern eye for colour (think perfectly sun-bleached pastels). Not to mention the fact that each and every tile is screen printed by hand. Love.

The full collection of nine designs is called Geometrie Componibili and comes in an infinite range of fab colour combos. Plus, for a total lewk, Passino has also designed encaustic concrete tiles in solid complementary colours. Clock them here. Love indeed.

Photo: Screen printing the Obelsico tile

I do enjoy a good makeover, but how about a makeunder?

Timothy Godbold’s latest is deffo in that category - a Palm Beach villa where the ‘before’ might’ve looked more at home on Mob Wives. But, Godbold’s remit was to work with what was there as much as possible (no demolition!), so instead he carefully subtracted, playing up the space and light, and carefully adding in modern touches. Oh, and did I mention the 4 month window he had to get the entire job done?

While the whole house is now stunning (check it here on Introspective, 1stdibs online mag), I love the changes he wrought in the rather OTT kitchen. Scroll down to see what it looked like before Godbold got his hands on it.

Curlicued corbels were removed, and the faux antiqued cabinetry was freshened up with a coat of Benjamin Moore’s Simply White. Speckled peach granite counters were nixed and replaced with high-contrast white Dolomite marble and black granite trim (the granite also does double-duty as the backsplash). Finally, those tired chandeliers were switched out for a kicky pendant from The Urban Electric Co.

Fab from top to bottom, the interior was shot by Alec Hemer and styled by Michael Walters.

Photo: Palm Beach villa kitchen ‘before’

Bringing The Looks

Arren Williams May 19, 2020

I’ve been having a bit of a design moral dilemma on Instagram with the number of fabulous interiors which, once you check in on the details, do not actually exist. Yep, 3D visualizations are the deepfakes of the interior world, and they’re kind of bumming me out.

You see, to me at least, part of the art of interior design is dealing with the reality of clients, budgets, contractors and trades - plus the sourcing of fabulous furnishings - to end up with something that’s real and tangible. That’s where the real beauty is.

Thoughts? Should I just get with the program, double tap and be done with it?

Cheers, Arren

While my accidental fascination with green continues, this particular room is so much more than the wall colour. Truthfully, it has also been given a generous helping hand by those mile high baseboards and that deep panelled window, but I have to tell you, this time I’m going gaga for the furnishings.

The shot is from that design mag marvel, House & Garden UK, which always brings serious LOOKS to the fore. I wish I could tell you the creative minds behind it, but alas the Google machine is no help - Any ideas?

Okay, back to the bits and bobs that make it special. Let’s start with the fab Hepplewhite sofa from Ensembliers London, shall we? The blue and white fabric is TO DIE FOR, but it’s the eye for detail and the fully upholstered legs that are really delivering the goods. This crew is not messing around. That sofa, plus the weird tramp art style table and kooky yellow wrapped frame chair, oh, and the art! It all adds up to perfection.

While many of you - well, maybe it’s just me - constantly scream, not another Jeanneret chair, when trawling through interior images, help is at hand. This week, I’ve been spotting chairs by designer Mario Milana instead. And I couldn’t be happier.

If the first shot below looks familiar, that’s because Milana’s rather stunning Brooklyn abode was featured in AD, and has just made a reappearance in the pages of Living - Corriere de la Serra. That’s his Rulla Lotto rocker in the foreground, and his Masand lounge in behind, but it’s his fun, fun, fun dePostura dining chairs that seem to be having a bit of a moment. Literally. Chair. Heaven.

Photo: Max Burhalter. Styling: Colin King

dePostura dining chair. Photo: @PalermoUno

Australian designer Chelsea Hing’s latest project is a stunner. Orchard House is the name, and Hing describes it best - “Avant-garde furniture, art & objects were layered to create a deliberate tension in an otherwise monochromatic palette.”

That tension definitely comes to play in the kitchen, with the scene stealing Verde Rameggiato marble slab counter set against the murky blue-green painted cabinetry and that boffo Shogun lamp from Artemide. And hello, that lamp! Designed in 1986 by Mario Botta it has deservedly attained design icon status.

Moving onto the living room, I had a complete, have I died and gone to heaven, moment over the Edra On The Rocks modular sofa and Indian green marble Salute tables from La Chance. Lordy!

You really must check out the complete Orchard House interior on Hing’s website. Styled by Beck Simon, it’s a winner baby.

Madrid - Bridgehampton - Muskoka

Arren Williams May 7, 2020

Sometimes, while on the hunt for something to watch, you can end up finding an odd little gem. So, when my husband David stumbled on Danger: Diabolik on the Kanopy streaming platform, I knew we were in for a treat. Filmed in Italy in 1968 it’s definitely camp, with its fair share of sexy costumes, overdubbed actors, dodgy special effects and some major eye candy from the sets. While it was trounced by critics on its initial release, it somehow ended up on Empire mag’s 500 Greatest Movies of All Time back in ‘08. Take a look at the preview here.

Cheers, Arren

So, we’re in the loft of my latest design crush, photographer Manolo Yllera who, along with shooting fab interiors, definitely has an eye for design himself. Hidden in an old Madrid neighbourhood, between a printer’s and an auto repair shop, it boasts 5 metre high ceilings and is crammed with a wild selection of major design pieces. Lordy.

I’m GAGGED, I tell you. Just look at that chair on the left, it’s a Tre Pezzi by Franco Albini for Cassina. Designed back in 1959, this particular one is a limited edition in Mongolian goat. Could you even?

Styled by Amaya De Toledo, this shoot just popped up in AD China, but you’ll also find more pics on Yllera’s Insta feed.

From Madrid to Bridgehampton, and a veritable design one-two punch, with an interior by Timothy Godbold, styled by Michael Walters.

Godbold’s look is right up my street, always making space for the crazy cool. Ergo, that eye watering Martin & Brockett console moment in the front hall. Pop into the library and you’ll spot a pair of Maralunga chairs by Vico Magistretti upholstered in shearling (it’s deffo a Cassina day). Creep the rest of the interior on Domaine.

Walters’ Instagram (check it out here) is a must follow for interior inspo seekers and midcentury lovers alike. Catch a peek of his projects, plus a slew of fab Palm Springs pics that obvs got me wanting to get back to PS, one of these days.

Having shopped flea markets in Paris with designer Montana Burnett, I know what a good eye she has. Monty just posted this snap; a throwback back to last year’s Muskoka pop-up for her online design shop SALT by The Caza Project. Think textured, natural and handmade, all in a pared-back palette of neutrals, black and white. Love. And I have to say, if this is her take on a lakeside cottage, then I’m there with flip-flops on. Roll on summer.

Kelly and The Shapes

Arren Williams April 23, 2020

How is your creativity? I was reading an interesting post by artist and illustrator Lisa Congdon about what she describes as the ‘Skill Gap’ between our vision and our ability. It totally jibes with how I’ve been feeling under lockdown, thinking about starting a new project and then hitting a wall when I actually give it a try. And I love how she explains that it’s okay to be shitty on the path to greatness. Wise words indeed.

Cheers, Arren

First up, two projects that caught my eye. Both from entirely different parts of the world, both with a different and equally fab point of view, and both using Kelly Wearstler’s Graffito wallpaper. Why do they work??? And what is it about KW’s trademark handpainted pattern that is the boffo touch in both interiors?

Well, if you ask me, it’s the abstract vibe. The theatricality. The DRAMA that this edgy pattern gives. Its become a bit of a classic, no?

Australian designer and stylist Jono Fleming used it to add that oomph on his parent’s place. I’m looooving the modern desert vibe the pattern in Salmon Cream gives, layered against all those soft blushes and naturals in the palette. See the full room shot here, as well as the rather grungy ‘before’.

Design/Styling: Jono Fleming. Photo: Kristina Šoljo

Then MONIOMI Design, out of Miami, amped up an already peppy and pattern filled bathroom with a wall in the Onyx Beige colourway. Taking the space from polished Art Deco to something much more current and crush-worthy.

I’m such a fan of BTS shots of how a stylist actually lives, playing around with the things they collect themselves, and snapping and sharing the results.

Sania Pell is definitely one to follow on Insta for softly poetic and moody assemblages of things found and collected over time. The shot below is a fave of mine, with its monochrome mix, texture and almost-clutter-but-not thoughtfulness. Not to mention the PATINA!

Let’s finish up today with vases. But, ya know, not just any old glass or ceramic vessels. Nope, these ones are knitted. Yes, knitted, by Amsterdam-bases textile wunderkind Charles-Antoine Chappuis. Each of his fantabulous Soft Amphorae series has different coloured sides to max out your hot shelfie lewks, and can be turned upside down, holding water on either end using found glass objects. Knit of linen and recycled yarn sourced from textile factories, the handles are malleable, allowing you to add extra swerves and shapes to a piece as the mood takes you.

Just think how killer a slew of these would be, sitting odd but pretty on a surface. Want your own? Check out the whys and wherefores of where to find them here.

We all need a little inspo

Arren Williams April 17, 2020

Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes, often completely out the blue. and in these difficult days - well - we could all use a little beauty to get us through…

So, here we go with an occasional series of things that have caught my eye. Yes, many will be via Insta, but who knows what else I can dig up? And of course, if you’d like to send me any recos, please drop me a line here.

Cheers, Arren

@objectsdaffection aka O.D.A. Galerie is a space in storied Paris flea market Marché Paul Bert curated by stylists and set designer Eve Ducroq and Arnaud Dollinger. In the room sets they create, look for an eclectic selection of vintage pieces styled to give the sense that some very chic homeowners have just strolled off screen to live a fantastically creative life. And, speaking of life, the chalky lime and plum combo in this space is definitely giving it to me right now.

@damienlangloismeurinne_studio aka interior architect Damien Langlois-Meurinne has an eye for sculpture within the architecture of an interior, ergo this stunner of a plaster fireplace. That, plus all of the softly curving furniture in this space have me completely swooning. Modern Parisian glamour at it’s best.

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Let’s finish with a pop of colour. I love a kitchen island that steps it up in something bright so here, in this flat in Marseille by Paris-based designers @novaobiecta, it’s all of that kelly green, plus those cobalt framed stools. Gah!

It's (not) a wrap

Arren August 3, 2010

Fashion designer Diane von Furstenburg is best known for her iconic wrap dress, but here's something altogether non-fashion related from DvF that was just too jammy not to share. Diane (along with best friend and interior decorator Olivier Gelbsmann) is in the midst of working with Claridge's, a posh London hotel, on re-designing 20 suites and rooms that are all expected to be finished by the end of this year. Here's a few snaps from the four rooms that are ready so far, one of which - the Piano Suite - rents out for an eye-watering $13,850 a night. I'm all over the nutty prints and high-contrast shenanigans, but what do you think? [Images: Claridge's]

On the floor, in Paris

Arren April 6, 2010

Sadly I'm not actually in Paris, instead I'm researching the chic old City of Lights for a project I'm working on. Derrière is one of the restaurants I've been reading up on that's now firmly on my must-see list, and not just because it's all a bit odd - It's a semi-secret place, entered through an unmarked door between busy and buzzy 404 and Andy Wahloo, once inside, the place has the look of a fairly messy apartment filled with flea-market finds (you might sit on a bed, near to a ping-pong table, or you might wander upstairs and head through a wardrobe - very Narnia - to the hidden smoking room). The interiors are by American-in-Paris designer Barbi Sloan, who also did the rather eccentric Jura Lodge on the Isle of Jura in Scotland, but - strangely - it's the snap I discovered of Derrière's bathroom floor that really made me go oooh! They're encaustic cement tiles, and I just love the mismatched effect all done in a single pale grey, cream and charcoal colourway. Smashing! Oh, and that second shot just gives you a taste of where you might be sitting if - and when - you end up for dinner at Derrière. On this side of the pond, if you fancy looking into encaustic cement tiles check out Villa Lagoon Tile. [Images: JasonW for HPRG Blog]

5 quick questions: Bunny Williams

Arren March 30, 2010

Sometimes Twitter is actually usefull, lol, so when I Tweeted NYC based doyenne of design Bunny Williams to see if she might answer 5 quick questions, and she said yes, I knew I would live to Tweet another day! Bunny is a mixmaster at heart, with the kind of verve and flair to confidently mix contemporary art with antiques and a jolt of unexpected colour. Her storied life in interior design includes writing books - An Affair With A House and Point of View are both bestsellers, soon to be joined by another book that'll hit shelves this Fall - and BeeLine Home, a just launched line of scrumptious furnishings inspired by her own furniture and collectibles.

Below you'll see the BeeLine Chicken Feather lamps (a personal fave of mine), plus an interior shot that gives a peek at more of BeeLine Home (you'll find the line at Celadon Collection in Montreal, and Ribbehege & Azevedo in Toronto). There's also a couple of snaps of Bunny's Kips Bay Show House space from last year and an entryway from Point of View. Click here to read more 5 quick questions! [Images 3, 4: House Beautiful]

Arren Williams: What's inspiring you right now?

Bunny Williams: Colour, I am increasingly drawn to beautiful colour. We have been living with a palette of neutrals and whites for sometime and I feel exhilarated by colour especially as a background on walls. I painted the walls of my Kips Bay Show House room a fabulous turquoise from Benjamin Moore called California Breeze, everyone who walked in was just dazzled by the space. I'm thinking too about brilliant yellow, and working that hue into a space soon.

AW: What drives me crazy?

BW: Bad scale and badly arranged furniture. Most rooms have furniture that is either too large or too small for the space. Good design is all about balance, harmony, and proportion. One needs to make sure the furnishings are in the proper scale for each space. a bad floor plan makes a room uncomfortable. If the furniture is arranged all around the edge of the room, there are no intimate seating groups. If there isn't a place to sit and read with good light next to it - how frustrating that is - if you have no table to put your coffee cup or drink on next to your seat, you'll end up balancing it all night.

AW: What's the next thing you're buying for your own house?

BW: Buying art from young contemporary artists and editing out some of my 19th century decorative pictures.

AW: How would you describe your look, and has it changed over the years?

BW: I have always strived to create beautiful, comfortable, useable rooms and that has not changed. What has changed is the addition of more contemporary furniture, and the paring down and simplifying the details. I'm into less "decoration" but I never want my rooms to lose the feeling of comfort and warmth.

AW: What's next on the horizon?

BW: I have so many things on the horizon that I am excited about this Spring. My BeeLine Home collection will be expanding to include several new pieces, as well as new lamps. I'm working on a tabletop collection that will include both china and linens, and I'm thinking about other areas of product design. I'm also just finishing a new book called "Scrapbook for Living" that will be published in the Fall.

In my design work I'm working on several projects that incorporate very sophisticated technology both in electronics as well as materials. These projects force me to stay on my toes and keep learning every second. I've just completed the installation of a hallway that has a staircase with a railing made of glass tubes. I love the challenge of solving my clients design problems in surprising ways!

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