Too much pattern, and other stories

Arren Williams June 8, 2021

All this sudden heat does slow things down rather deliciously. Makes me crave a chilled glass of rosé in the steamy outdoors, slowly sipping while watching the condensation speckle the wine glass and puddle on the table.

And, while things are busy, work currently has the consistency of molasses. Slow and sticky, but sweet if it ever gets there. How impossible is it to get anything done these days?

I discovered Populus Project through the bastion of cool and contemporary west coast design; Provide. The brainchild of Brian Lin, a Taiwanese-American product designer from Houston who now calls Vancouver home, Populus is the result of Lin pivoting from a career in fashion to create covetable objet for the home.

Just say yes to Lin’s stunningly simple yet utterly textural Silver Travertine trays - your keys and loose change will thank you. The trays also come in a heavily veined and totally g-g-g-gorgeous Italian Portoro marble . And I am totes in love with the polished brass Stack Burner designed to hold incense. Light it up and watch the smoky fragrance loop and curl through the pierced top.

Round and oval trays in Silver Travertine. Populus Project

I always wonder about too much pattern. Is that even a thing? Can there ever really be too much pattern in an interior? Listen, before I sound any more like Carrie in SATC, I know this lewk might not be popular with the Japandi-loving crowd, but aren’t these two examples of mural wallpapers just stop-you-in-your-tracks fab???

First up, we’re serving FLORAL in this space by interior stylist Agi, featuring the 'Fragment of wallpaper' mural from the V&A Museum collection at Surface View. The design is taken from a circa 1725-50 wallpaper panel from Eltham Lodge in Kent, scaled up to deliver a definite design moment.

Let’s follow up with this little number from Transylvania-based patterntastic firm Mindthegap, who’s maximalist ethos infuses everything they do. The Azure mural is part of a collection they’ve dubbed Sundance Villa, and includes 201 other patterns, in case the mood takes you.

Surface View ‘Fragment of wallpaper’ mural. Interior design: Agi

Oh, hello high-contrast black and oak. The new Jamie Beckwith collab with Currey & Co is definitely pushing all my buttons, translating Beckwith’s mindbogglingly gorgeous patterned wood surfaces for floors and walls to a 10-piece collection of furniture and furnishings.

Of course!!! You’ll shout, when you realize you can actually match Beckwith’s Gio Ponti inspired Swoop surface in oak with his Swoop Cabinet. (shown below). I’m seeing a wall in the wood pattern fronted by the cabinet, and topped with a barmy vintage lamp like this, you?

Swoop cabinet and Arrow cocktail table. Jamie Beckwith for Currey & Co

More horn-tooting… A while back my talented sister co-founded Plum & Belle, a stylish online resource for sustainable home goods, fashion and apothecary. And, when I chat with her over Facetime on the daily, I’m always pumping her for info on the latest finds they’ve added to the shop.

While there’s always something I want to get my hands on (I’m talking to you, Shibori indigo dyed vintage French linen tote bag), a long time fave are the heirloom kilims by Ishkar. Woven by Afghani weavers in partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council, they embody the handmade specialness of true craft. Read more of the story behind the blue Band-e Amir design or Anar in burnt umber, each handwoven in wool.

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.

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.

Way Down South

Arren Williams May 14, 2020

Australia is amazing. And stylish. And cool. And I have never been.

A visit is definitely on my ever growing bucket list. Until that happens, I thought I’d share some brand new faves from that part of the world.

Cheers, Arren

I’ll never not say no to art with a strong, graphic point of view, so the work of artist Emma Lipscombe is right up my alley.

I love how restrained each piece is, yet bright and playful at the same time. Each is painted in oil on timber board, and sized a diminutive 31cm square, they’re a snap to sneak into a gallery wall.

The shot below, styled by Natalie Johnson and Lisa Burden for Real Living mag, shows how fab Lipscombe’s work looks layered into a contemporary space. Not your thing, perhaps? Well, they can also look equally at home somewhere more relaxed, rumpled and deshabille. Get the vibe here.

While the redoubtable Patsy Stone believes you can never have enough hats, shoes and gloves, I’m of the same mind when it comes to occasional tables. In our living room, we currently have 3 that get dragged hither and yon, just so a cocktail can perch within arm’s reach.

Here’s a perfect little number from architect and interior designer Daniel Boddam. His M-Side Table - part of a series inspired by architectural forms - is both stylish and sturdy, set just-so in this interior he designed in Hunter’s Hill.

I love this look, and how well the table works with Jaime Hayon’s rice paper pendant light for &Tradition. It’s so simple and chic against all of the room’s trad details.

I am a longtime fan of Popham Design’s contemporary concrete tiles, made the old fashioned way in Marrakech. The patterns are always spot on, giving a designer just enough leeway to mix it up and create something special.

So, it’s their Squarish On Four tile that drew me to this swish guest bathroom designed by Studio Parker. That off-kilter mod pattern, paired with brushed brass fixtures and a chunky built-in vanity is making it all happen. Yes, to all of it!

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