Something about designer, Craig Van Den Brulle’s lavish, new Delaunay collection gets me in the holiday spirit. The glittering, cubist design feels very NYE 2010 to me… like dining on top of the Times Square ball as it drops! The Delaunay dining table is the first piece of the collection available in Steel, Gilt Bronze, and Chrome, and will soon be followed by dining chairs (rendering shown.) Thanks to VDB for sending me a moment of sheer opulence and fantasy.

-S

I had the pleasure of attending Voila! gallery’s launch party for their new line of custom moulding designs by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard. The new line is beautiful and quintessentially MLB of course, but it was the entire collection of interesting curiosities that really blew me away about the showroom. Voila! explores, discovers and exhibits their treasures, mixing vintage oddities with antiques and contemporary art, to truly create an authentic space with a unique point of view. As gallery owner and designer, Katrien van der Schueren explains, “we mix old with new [and] we make our own creations, edgy with a sense for humor. I am from Belgium, and surrealism is close to my heart and my aesthetic.”

I’ll let their work do the rest of the talking. For more info and to check out their entire collection, check out: Voila!

Friend Voila! on FB

-S

Desk – Music and Sound Design from Aaron Trinder Film:Motion:Music on Vimeo.

I’ve always been obsessed with my desk. I take photos of the tabletop while I’m working, from time-to-time, when it’s messy and full of ideas. This short film explores our relationship with our desks so beautifully. – S

Prestigious rug purveyor, Victoria Hagan. Hagan’s guest collection for Mansour Modern is true to her signature aesthetic, “My design philosophy is about the juxtaposition of the old and new, the blending of materials and periods to create a thoroughly modern environment,” says Hagan.

Hagan has contributed an impressive, twenty-seven designs for her collection for Mansour Modern. A collection that Hagan says was inspired by nature and bold geometric forms, “We are all connected to the outdoors and our interiors live in harmony with the elements around us, I look to the landscape, and try to bring the outdoors in. The mixture of organic and geometric creates environments that are complicated yet simple, light yet strong,” says Hagan.

Ben Soleimani, principal and head designer for Mansour Modern utilized his rug expertise to translate Hagan’s designs into indisputable works of art. Soleimani made the rugs in the most luxe materials befitting Hagan’s aesthetic; silk, linen and mohair, which are as plush underfoot as they are pleasing to the eye. Taking from his vast knowledge of texture and his natural leaning towards innovation he wove in sustainable materials such as hemp and other natural fibers with the more luxurious, creating a perfect balance for Hagan’s designs to be highlighted. 

“We are very happy to have the opportunity to work with Victoria, she’s a true talent and her offerings are stunning,“ says Soleimani. It seems the admiration is mutual. When asked why she chose to work with Mansour Modern Hagan answered, “I have known Ben for many years and was thrilled when they asked me to collaborate with them. It was a chance to explore gorgeous materials, and to work with such a highly respected international brand with an eye toward creating modern classics.“

Last Friday, I attended the grand opening party of one of my favorite interior design houses, Jean De Merry, at their new Melrose Place location. The gala was also a premier for Douglas Friedman’s latest photography exhibit “Take It Off,” which was an event in itself. The level of taste, style, and elegance brought by Jean De Merry is unmatched in L.A., and guests such as Tommy Hilfiger, Ryan and Tatum O’Neal, Tara Subkoff, Margaret Russell, Randolph Duke, Noa Tishby, Steven Weber, Robert Verdi, Rupaul and Bradley Garlock came out to support this spectacular affair.

Rather than show you pics of people smiling and drinking champagne at the gala, I’d like to focus our attention to a tangible interior design solution that I believe Jean De Merry has executed so well. As a hoarder of books and magazines, I’m constantly challenged in the way I store my collection. Many of us in the creative industries use our archive for inspiration, so the pages need to be close, visible and on hand when we need it. The images I snapped at Jean De Merry show a smart way at storing and yet showcasing magazines and books. When I spotted this particular living room vignette, I couldn’t stop starring. For some, this may look a little messy, but I have to argue that the placement of these books around the coffee table is pure style and sophistication. I’m going to try doing this at home… maybe you will too.

Bless this mess,

-S

Photos | homlifestyle.com

Los Angeles is the land of the endless summer. A handful of rainy days may scatter the SoCal calendar, but outside of that nominal precipitation Angelinos live in perpetual sunshine and summerlike temps year-round. When it comes to design and architecture, it’s no surprise that L.A.’s attributed with coining the term “indoor-outdoor living.” Whether the idea is to bring nature inside or to empathetically open up the home to the outside, designers in Los Angeles have pioneered the green movement from the very beginning. Grant Kirkpatrick, principal of KAA, is one such architect seminal to the movement for sustainable, green design. A leader in the design industry since 1988, Grant founded KAA as an integrated design firm inspired by the belief that “design has the power to elevate the human spirit.” Now making a foray into furniture design, Grant is bringing to furniture the same passion that has motivated his successful architectural career.

Recently launching HOM, a collaborative line with L.A. based Cisco Brothers, a full collection of furnishings was unveiled at the Cisco Home showroom on La Brea last week. The collection features warm, modern design and functional amenities that are designed to be used indoors and outdoors, together and in combination with like-minded products. The vibe: simple, purposeful and ecological. The line provides a high degree of design with comfortable, quality products for a flexible and relaxed lifestyle. HOM is about living outdoors and in, with a close connection to nature. The idea is to live a healthier, happier lifestyle with a smaller ecological footprint and with respect to our planet.

As we spring forward into the forthcoming summer months, this may be the perfect time to consider the HOM collection as a chic way for living the green life. With this dual approach to designing the line, the HOM collection offers the quintessential indoor-outdoor, SoCal lifestyle while still being environmentally aware and proactive.

For more info about the HOM collection, please visit: homlifestyle.com, or visit your local Cisco Home showroom

Blackman Cruz protégé, Brooks Hudson Thomas, breaks out on his own with Specific Merchandise. With a background in art, a fascination for handicraft and the obscure, Brooks curates a collection that is undeniably personal…specific even. According to Brooks, the idea behind this venture was to do a “deliberate mix of high and low things” and to “blur the line between a gallery and a shop.” The collection is pretty innovative even for a discerning design enthusiast, with pieces from furniture designer Tim Lewis, Mexican ceramicist German Montalvo (pictured,) and an exclusive lighting collection by Marie Christophe (pictured.)

After visiting with Brooks and really taking in the store, the name Specific Merchandise really sunk in and made sense. I thought it would be interesting to get inside the mind of the man behind the showroom to understand design as he sees it. Let’s play, “If Design Were…,” with Brooks Hudson Thomas:

SY: If design were… an object?

BHT: “A bottle opener.”

SY: …a person?

BHT: “Donald Judd.”

SY: …a place?

BHT: “Tokyo.”

SY: …a song?

BHT: “Tony’s “Something’s Coming”, West Side Story.”

SY: …a film?

BHT: “Auntie Mame, or Cary Grant in anything.”

Finding myself applauding at my computer screen, I knew I had to cover ACNE’s foray into furniture design, which launched this week in Paris. The Swedish creative agency ACNE (Ambition to Create Novel Expressions,) known mostly as a fashion line, used the work of renowned Swedish designer Carl Malmsten, and in particular his “New Berlin” sofa as the reference for the line. ACNE founder, Jonny Johansson, explains that he decided “to objectify its form from a perspective play, [...] stretching, squashing and pulling the simplistic shape to create new sculptural forms,” and he compares the remix, guided by “proportion, lineage and structure,” to the brand’s approach to fashion. Playing with proportions, is of course, a popular theme in fashion, and these pieces are jaw dropping examples of the beauty in distortion; transforming classics to create something truly modern. Creating a common thread between their fashion brand and the new venture, ACNE dressed these pieces in denim, treating the upholstery in the same way as they approach their jeans — by washing, bleaching, and hand-drying the pieces to create bespoke finishes.

Check out the video below for a glimpse into the launch party in Paris (“Wicked Games” in the background is a nice touch, too.)

-S

Acne Furniture Launch from Acne Studios on Vimeo.

Underneath the aesthetic value of any iconic design, you are sure to find a real connection to the human condition. For me, that cross-section where a beautiful object corresponds with our universal experiences is a fascinating place. At the Hidden Dimensions gallery of the Milwaukee Art Museum, they’re doing just that, focusing on taking an anthropological approach to understanding familiar objects. The following short reveals how SEX features into the function of early American objects, such as small-scale tea tables of the 18th century. Good stuff!

There’s an obsession with making rooms pretty in the design industry that I don’t quite understand. I’m not moved by pretty. Flipping through the pages of any popular design magazine, I’m continually shocked at the glorification of over stylized rooms, without personality, but with lots of perfectly plush pillows in hues of floral pastels. One published project after the other, it reminds me of watching a blockbuster movie where you know exactly how the story’s going to end from the very first scene. Especially in LA, it seems that there’s an absence of designers who take more of an artistic approach in their businesses, expressing themselves outside of a need to create pretty rooms. In my observant opinion, one such designer who’s filling the void for LA based design with heart and soul is Gary Gibson.

Last week, I sat down with the native Angelino in his retail showroom to discuss his trademark look, and to pick his brain as an integral player in the design game. The following Q&A’s are insightful snippets from our conversation:

SY: How do you describe your aesthetic?

GG: “My aim is to create interiors that are timeless and classic, but at the same time comfortable and usable. Contrasting surfaces, colors, and textures that excite the eye are always the goal. I’m driven in creating spaces that make people comfortable in the emotions they like to feel. I love juxtapositions, like a gorgeous silk rug on a concrete floor. I think playing with history is fun… designing a modern space, but placing something vintage in it [...] something old brings it back to a human factor.”

SY: What was your goal for adding a retail aspect to your design business?

GG: “I wanted to create an extension of my art studio. The store is a collection of objects that are one of a kind, handmade, mass-produced, vintage and antique [...] this is all the stuff that inspires my design work. I wanted to create an inspiring work environment that could also be accessible to the public; a functional place that’s aesthetically pleasing to all who enter. I wanted to put together all the elements of what Gary the artist, interior designer, and product designer are all about. “

SY: What’s your earliest memory of wanting to be a designer?

GG: “When I was a little kid, my parents gave me permission to do whatever decorating I wanted to do in my bedroom. I had a huge bookcase that spanned the entire length of my wall with lots of shelves, and I would display my toys, rock collection, and all sorts of objects in this bookcase. I’d always change the way I displayed my stuff, and in a sense, I think this was my earliest attempt at creating vignettes to inspire the viewer. “

SY: How has being a native Angelino affected your design sensibility?

GG: “Well, there’s definitely a less formal approach to design here. I think there’s a casual elegance about my work that is related to being from the west coast. We are all products of our environment, and there’s a low-key, organic quality about LA that affects your approach as a designer when you grow up here. I was initially an art major and later made a switch to the design department at UCLA, so even my experiences in formal education and training were done here.”

SY: Have there been any shifts in your clients needs in this last year of disarray?

GG: “The economy has been a really big influence, of course, but surprisingly our business increased last year. I think that people are making an effort to turn their homes into a safe place, physically and psychologically. It has become more essential to have a beautiful, inviting, comfy surrounding to call home. I find that clients are looking to simplify things, and are looking for a Zen-like quality in design.”

SY: Who would you consider an important artist that has been forgotten in recent years?

GG: “Jack Larsen. I think that Jack Larsen’s work as a textile designer is something contemporary designers may have forgotten about. I find that contemporaries take textiles for granted as a form of art. Larsen was influential in opening up the world of textiles to the American public. I’m very proud to be the only retail store in the country to carry Larsen’s textile re-issues from the 50’s.”

SY: Any tips for young designers?

GG: “Work for someone before going out on your own, and realize that there are other positions out there outside of being THE DESIGNER.”

SY: I enjoy…

GG: “I enjoy…mornings at my showroom. I love the way light filters through the drapery, and how the changes in light throughout the day affect all the furniture and objects in the store. I enjoy… the days when new shipments of stuff come in. I feel like a kid in a candy store, like Christmas morning every single time. I love playing around with how I place things, and creating vignettes that provoke emotions.”