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

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.

studio-job-wood-bisazza-tiles-london-design-festival-2016_dezeen_2364_col_3-852x1517.jpg

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?

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.

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