Woweee! I hear you say. Are you still banging on about Milan? Yes indeed. I’m only just warming up… The truth is that I have (a lot) more content than time, which is a bit sad given that I’d really love to share my Milan experience with you in it’s entirety. Alas, that just won’t be possible this time but perhaps I’ll work out a way to do it next year.

Until then, I wanted to chat to you about some of the wonderful moments and installations that took place during the Milan Design Week. As you’ve probably gathered, an overwhelming amount of things happens in Milan during the Design Week – from countless new products released at the Rho Fiera and big city showrooms, to installations and emerging talent shows at SaloneStellite, Tortona, Lambrate and many other areas throughout the city. When compared to previous years, 2013 was definitely quieter and more modest due to the grim state of European (and global) economy. Having said this, there was still plenty to see and do. Let’s dive in.

A Magnificent Mistake by Ron Gillard for Italian marble producer Salvatori. An installation crafted of 4 marble sculptures that explore the thin edge between realism and surrealism. In other words – amazing! Consisting of a Swing, a Smoking Roof, a Stack of Paper and footsteps, Salvatori engaged the best of their engineers and Pietrasanta craftsmanship to execute the bizarre, to put logic in the sarcastic, and bring to life Gilads’ dreams. Superb. (P.S. Salvatori stone is now available in Australia exclusively through Boffi Studio.)

This was Budri stand at Salone del Mobile – Italian marble inlay atelier know for their exclusive marble and stone work for the last 50 years. Their new collection Earthquake 5.9 is a tribute to the earthquake which struck in May 2012, affecting many business in the Emilia area including theirs.

Patricia Urquiola designed a collection of furniture and coverings, created using hundreds of fragments of the slabs that were damaged in the earthquake. Inside the stand was a secret room where fragments of marble ‘rescued’ from the slabs covered an entire wall in a mesmerizing artistic inlay designed by Urquiola. Seriously one of those “pinch-me-am-I-dreaming-cause-this-is-so-damn-beautiful” moments!

Visiting the Boffi Apartment during Salone del Mobile is always a treat, and this year was no exepction. Meticulously furnished in Living Divani furniture, the apartment is styled and furnished differently each year. See my previous posts about it here and here. Images courtesy of Boffi.

RGB Fabulous Landscapes by Carnovsky (Francesco Rugi and Silvia Quintanilla) at Fondazione Adolofo Pini in Brera where a series of installations that took place. Read more about Carnovsky’s amazing RGB experimentation and their process here, or visit my previous post about their work here.

Zigzagging installation by Carnovsky for Missoni. If Missoni hosted a rave, this is what it would feel like (and I would want to be there)! If you want to see more, watch this great video.

‘Fluidic – Sculpture in Motion’ installation designed and produced by WHITEvoid for Hyundai’s Advanced Design Center. A cloud constellation of 12,000 illuminated spheres suspended above a pool of shallow water, incorporating  high-power laser projectors. Using 3D camera tracking system, the installation could detect the presence of people, allowing viewers to manipulate the movement of light with their gestures and movement.

“Unopiù in Wonderland” in the garden of Triennale di Milano, created by Ferruccio Laviani and inspired by Lewis Carroll. Seven small colourful gazebos – fuchsia, red, emerald green and light green, blue, yellow, orange – hosted out-of-scale microworlds, hanging between reality and fiction.

Celebrating Patricia Urquiola‘s first textile collection for Kvadrat, Moroso‘s Milan showroom hosted a dynamic installation called Revolving Room with rotating pieces of embroidered fabrics hung around the edges of the space. The bottom image shows the styling of the centre table during the launch cocktail party – seriously, how hot does it look? Super beautiful.

Les Nécessaires d’Hermès installation featured a capsule collection of furniture by French designer Philippe Nigro. Also on show was the new Hermès collection of textiles and wallcoverings. Photo by Francois Lacour.

NOMADISMI, an installation curated by international trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort and Raffaele Carrieri, director of the Altai Gallery. The exhibition was on show at the Altai Gallery in Brera, showcasing avant-garde design and antique primitive carpets. The installation was a comment on the return of nomadism in the third millennium and analysing their influence on contemporary lifestyle.

Cà (local slang for house) by furniture designer Valentina Giovando and artist Elena Carozzi took place in a magnificent rented apartment on Via Solferino above the Boffi apartment. The space was transformed with handmade furniture and lighting, luxurious textiles, hand-painted wallpapers inspired by Edouard Vuillard and Pierre Bonnard’s landscapes. Although not my usual style, the space was incredibly beautiful and opulent.

The newly reopened Rijksmuseum presented new designs based on Rijksstudio in collaboration with Studio Droog and deJongeKalff. The collection, which was shown at Droog’s space on via San Gregorio, is an update of century old works using contemporary techniques and materials such as ‘Rubber tablecloth’ by deJongeKalff, and ‘Tasting glasses’ and ‘Forgotten tools’by Studio Droog.

Courtyard of Spazio Rossana Orlandi – a must-visit venue during the Design Week with bonkers amazing things happening throughout (I did find it slightly less amazing this year, however it’s still without a doubt one of my favourite places in Milan). See my previous posts about it here and here.

Tea With Georg installation by Scholten & Baijings celebrated the launch of dutch designers’ new tableware collection for Georg Jensen.

ToiletPaper magazine teamed up with Seletti to create a collection of cups, plates and tablecloths featuring eccentric imagery from the magazine. Seriously bonkers!

Tom Dixon event at MOST, complete with tea house & gift shop. Image courtesy of Tom Dixon.

E-commerce site Fab.com collaborated with The Andy Warhol Foundation on a series of foam ottomans inspired by the original Warhol Brillo Box sculptures. The ottomans were unveiled at MOST and are currently available for preorder on Fab.com.

Tom Dixon collaboration with Adidas on a clothing collection called The Capsule, which included various items that convert into multiple outfits, camping equipment and luggage. For me, probably the most exciting thing about this collaboration was the incredible setting itself – amid the old steam trains. I was too distracted by these old locomotives that I had a really hard time focussing on the clothes. Can you blame me?

Ridiculously beautiful courtyard at MOST. One of Milan’s many beautiful hidden courtyards which makes this city really special.

Studio Job for Lensvelt office furniture collaboration was presented in a highly monumental context at the Sala del Cenacolo, 18th century magnificent fresco room at MOST. This ironic and surreal installation was what I like to describe as a “holy shit moment”. Just to help you complete the picture, an old-school Marshall amp was located at the back of the room, blasting tunes from Pink Floyd. Note their promotional campaign that showed posters of well known people from with gold noses. This campaign highlight the collection’s desk finger pull detail where drawers are opened by putting a finger in the nose. Brilliant in so many ways. Photos by Roos Aldershoff.

Stone Garden by Nendo for Caesarstone. This installation was first unveiled at the 2013 Interior Design Show in Toronto, Canada in late January. “The installation explores the boundary between ‘furniture’ and ‘non-furniture’. Tables that aren’t quite tables form a cluster, creating a new kind of ground surface like a garden floating in the universe, far beyond the scale of individual tables. The unique variety and quality of natural colours and textures of the Caesarstone surfaces are perfect to be arranged in a composition like the stylized landscape of a Japanese rock garden.”

Transition by Autoban with Deborah Milano at Interni HYBRID ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN at the Università degli Studi di Milano. This project consisted of a tunnel which connected the Ground and First Floor. The installation took the form of the portal interior lined with 30,000 colourful lipstick packages. Should you be so inclined, there’s a video the building of this installation here.

Hooked Up by Dean Skira at Interni HYBRID ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN at the Università degli Studi di Milano. This 16m long pavilion, gently pinched at the waist, was created in collaboration with iGuzzini. Bespoke light fittings were produced to create a special visual linear effect by using custom made optic lenses and LED sources, allowing the space to become the source of light in a delicate and gentle way. You can watch a video of how this pavilion was built. Pretty massive job!

Inversion by Steven Holl at Interni HYBRID ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN at the Università degli Studi di Milano. This installation featured digitally cut 21 million year-old limestone from a quarry in Lecce, Italy. Ummm, wow.

COS concept pop-up store by Bonsoir Paris at Ventura Lambrate. See more in my previous post here.

2.0 Exhibition at the Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, Curated by Rossana Orlandi.

Moooi Unexpected Welcome with Erwin Olaf.

Studiopepe installation for Spotti.

Danish Chromatism by Signe Byrdal Terenziani and GamFratesi at Triennale di Milano.

Ok, so that’s that. Just a couple of things really. I hope I haven’t given you motion sickness from all the scrolling! Anyway, you know the drill now. More images in the gallery below. Enjoy and see you next week!

[Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Nick Hughes for Yellowtrace.]

The post Design Installations & Other Special Moments During Salone del Mobile // Milan 2013. appeared first on yellowtrace blog ».

Idol 13, 2012. C-Print, 120 x 80 cm
Image courtesy of Lawrie Shabibi.

Idol 18, 2012. C-Print, 120 x 80 cm
Image courtesy of Lawrie Shabibi.

Idol 2, 2012. C-Print, 120 x 80 cm
Image courtesy of Lawrie Shabibi.

Idol 5, 2012. C-Print, 120 x 80 cm
Image courtesy of Lawrie Shabibi.

Idol 4, 2012. C-Print, 120 x 80 cm
Image courtesy of Lawrie Shabibi.

Pakistani artist Hamra Abbas uses a wide range of media – paper collage, painting, ephemeral soft plasticine sculptures and video are all a part of her cunning toolkit. I am particularly drawn to her Idols series in which Abbas mixes miniatures with exaggerated forms, and realism with pop art. This impressive collection of work in progress are blown-up digital photographs of miniature clay sculptures.

Although these portraits are quite serious, expressive and visually arresting, I can’t help but giggle. Something about them is really edgy and kind of funny. Do you think the same thing?

Idol 3, 2012. C-Print, 120 x 80 cm
Image courtesy of Lawrie Shabibi.

Idol 8, 2012. C-Print, 120 x 80 cm
Image courtesy of Lawrie Shabibi.

Idol 20, 2012. C-Print, 120 x 80 cm
Image courtesy of Lawrie Shabibi.

Hamra Abbas was born in Kuwait in 1976 and lives and works between Boston and Lahore, Pakistan. She received her BFA and MA in Visual Arts from the National College of Arts, Lahore in 1999 and 2002 respectively before going on to the Universitaet der Kuenste in Berlin in 2004 where she received the Meisterschueler. Abbas lists artists Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami as some of her influences.

Super cool Ms Abbas. Love your work lady.

Idol 7, 2012. C-Print, 120 x 80 cm
Image courtesy of Lawrie Shabibi.

Idol 10, 2012. C-Print, 120 x 80 cm
Image courtesy of Lawrie Shabibi.

Idol 19, 2012. C-Print, 120 x 80 cm
Image courtesy of Lawrie Shabibi.

Idol 20, 2012. C-Print, 120 x 80 cm
Image courtesy of Lawrie Shabibi.

[Images courtesy of the Artist and Lawrie Shabibi.]

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Houses Awards recently announced their 2013 shortlist for 125 residential projects across the eight categories. Now in its third year, the Houses Awards is a survey of the best residential work by Australian architects. From inner-city terraces, warehouse conversions, apartments and townhouses, to freestanding homes that engage with the site and respond to the diversity of the Australian landscape, the projects on the shortlist illustrate accomplished design for the way we live.

Sincere congratulations to all shortlisted entrants. So many fantastic projects by amazing local architects, beautifully captured on film screen by our talented photographers. Australia’s got (some serious) talent!

Below are just a few of my favourite projects.

Merricks Beach House by Kennedy Nolan Architects. Photo by Derek Swalwell.

Armadale Residence by Made by Cohen and Robson Rak Architects. Photo by Shannon McGrath.

Carlton Residence by Hecker Guthrie (selected architectural details and project management by Ridolfi Architects). Photo by Shannon McGrath.

Brisbane Street House by Alexander & Co. Photo by Murray Fredericks.

Lilyfield Warehouse by Virginia Kerridge Architect. Photo by Michael Nicholson.

Moor Street Apartment by Clare Cousins Architects. Photo by Shannon McGrath.

Gordons Bay House by Luigi Rosselli Architects. Photo by Justin Alexander.

Torquay House by Wolveridge Architects (previously). Photo by Derek Swalwell.

Bronte House by Tobias Partners. Photo by Justin Alexander.

Bondi House by Fearns Studio. Photo by Tom Ferguson.

Stewart House by Chenchow Little Architects. Photo by John Gollings.

Jack’s House by fmd architects. Photo by Shannon McGrath.

Apartment Gregory by Tribe Studio. Photo by Peter Bennetts.

Double Bay House by Tobias Partners. Photo by Justin Alexander.

The Studio by Nicholas Gurney. Photo by Katherine Lu.

House Chapple by Tribe Studio. Photo by Katherine Lu.

Lavender Bay Boatshed by Stephen Collier Architects. Photo by Peter Bennetts.

Whale Beach House by Shahe Simonian Architect (Zanazan). Photo by Trevor Mein.

Jan Juc Beach House by Zen Architects in collaboration with Doherty Lynch. Photo by Gorta Yuuki.

Toorak Residence by Hecker Guthrie. Photo by Armelle Habib.

More images can be found in the gallery below. To see the full list of shortlisted projects, visit the Houses Awards website.

The post Australia’s Got Talent // Houses Awards Shortlist 2013. appeared first on yellowtrace blog ».

If I had to nominate a favourite typology in domestic architecture (it’s a question we’re all asked most days), it would be the courtyard house. And this one, by São Paulo’s UNA Arquitetos, is a cracker.

A good courtyard house does many things at once – holds the edges of a site, opens up a kernel of space in the middle, cradles privacy within, permits views across into other rooms and in so doing enlivens opposite ends of the home. I could go on. I wonder if it speaks to primal feelings of hearth/home/shelter… doubtless this has been theorised enough by more learned people than myself, so let’s just enjoy some lovely images. The photographs here are by Leonardo Finotti.

There’s a lot to drink in here. The simple materials palette makes the architecture raw, spare, and tough. This is saved from bleakness by the wonderfully wriggly trees and feather soft landscaping in the internal courtyards. It’s a very simple move but it makes all the difference in my eyes, and makes the place domestic rather than institutional.

I’m intrigued by the concrete tie holes running along the joints here. I also like the way that a splash of the dark paint has been applied where the steel beams meet the concrete – someone has given thought to the small junctions and components of this place.

Architecture speak alert. Spatial dynamism. There, I’ve said it.  But look at how much more interesting these rooms are on account of that courtyard, that glimpse into the upper hall, and the rooms beyond. The eye is drawn deeper into the house in a way it wouldn’t if the view was of, say, your neighbour’s house… unless of course you are lucky enough to have neighbours with a lovely lovely house…

I don’t love reglit as a building material but when it’s used well and has this lantern-like quality by night, there’s nothing quite like it is there?

And that’s that. Books furnish a room, a courtyard maketh my fantasy house… this place achieves both, I’d better move to Brazil.

Ende

-Luke.

[Photos © Leonardo Finotti, courtesy of UNA Arquitetos.]

The post Bacopari House by UNA Arquitetos // São Paulo, Brazil. appeared first on yellowtrace blog ».

During the recent Milan Design Week, Danish Chromatism presented a selection of traditional and contemporary designs from 30 Danish companies in a playful and unusual chromatic interpretation.

The exhibition was curated by Signe Byrdal Terenziani, designed by GamFratesi, and presented at the Triennale di Milano design museum, allowing visitors to experience a different relationship between classic and modern Danish products.

[superquote]“Traditionally Danish design is associated with wooden furniture and natural colour. In this exhibition, we wanted to reinterpret the traditional aesthetics through the use of colour – to create a new experience of the relationship between the classic and the modern products.” – GamFratesi.[/superquote]

The work of influential artist Josef Albers inspired the exhibition design. Abers’ paintings explored coloured boxes within boxes – and how colours look when seen one at a time, and how they appear in different combinations.

Danish Chormatism featured four spaces of different colour – black, grey, red and blue. While each space presented a distinct design universe of its own, they were all clearly related with each one placed like a box inside the next, giving visitors a unique sensory experience.

The designs on display ranged from speakers to cool bikes, floor tiles to lighting, songbirds to sofas. The exhibition featured brand new products from young designers side by side with designs going back to the late 19th century.

[superquote]“The combination of old and new designs brings a new edge to the classic icons, while highlighting how contemporary design of Denmark draw on the masters’ strong tradition of craftsmanship.” - Signe Byrdal Terenziani.[/superquote]

Some of 30 participating companies included &tradition, Carl Hansen & Søn, Fredericia, Fritz Hansen, Gubi, Kvadrat, LEGO, Louis Poulsen, Rosendahl, Royal Copenhagen and Stelton amongst others.

Many more delicious images of Danish Chormatism by Filippo Bamberghi can be found in the gallery below.

[Photos by Filippo Bamberghi, courtesy of Danish Chormatism.]

The post Danish Chromatism by Signe Byrdal Terenziani and GamFratesi at Triennale di Milano // Milan 2013. appeared first on yellowtrace blog ».

Inspired by the ghosts of the former inner city nightclub’s first patrons, Captain Melville in Melbourne was recently refurbished and re-invented as a restaurant and bar by the local studio Breathe Architecture.

Previously known as Mac’s Hotel, the building dates back to 1853 – the time when the first settlers descended on Australian shores “chasing land, gold and new beginnings, while convicts railed against their injustice and the class system that created it.”

[superquote]“In the spirit of this historic, rebel narrative, the fit-out is conceptually based on the scene of mass occupation of Australia in the 1850′s by immigrants chasing gold in the Australian Gold Rush.”[/superquote]

[superquote]“Melbourne had then grown almost over night from a tiny village into a gridded tent city. The repetition of these simple peaked forms, erected from materials on hand in the settlement (steel, timber, leather, canvas) and laid over the landscape, became the conceptual framework for the design and material palette.”[/superquote]

I love the way the old hotel was sensitively stripped back to an empty shell in preparation for the new story to be told. The fabric of the existing building has been left intact wherever possible, with found objects and existing materials expressed, exposed and given a new life. In signature Breathe Architecture style, the new insertions are simple and stripped back, with an honest and robust material palette used throughout the space.

Beautiful, simple, gutsy, sustainable, interesting… and soooo Melbourne. Seriously, what more could one possibly ask for? Well done Breathe Architecture. Also full props for such clever art direction and story telling, accompanied by sharp photography by Andrew Wuttke. Brilliant.

[Images courtesy of Breathe Architecture. Photography by Andrew Wuttke.]

The post Captain Melville Restaurant & Bar by Breathe Architecture // Melbourne. appeared first on yellowtrace blog ».

Have you guys noticed a huuuge shift towards inspirational quotes all over the place? They are basically everywhere. As you may have noticed, I’ve always loved a good quote and have found a lot of inspiration (and amusement) reading them.

These typography posters are the work of Ben Fearnley, a multidisciplinary Freelance Graphic Designer & Digital Artist based in Manchester,UK. His inspirational quotes are taken from some of the world’s biggest and brightest brains. Beautiful to look at and interesting to read – what a combo. If you like what you see, you can purchase them right here.

[Images courtesy of Ben Fearnley.]

The post Design Free Thursday // Typography Posters of Inspirational Quotes by Ben Fearnley. appeared first on yellowtrace blog ».

Spotti ”Happy office happy home”. Concept and set up project by Studiopepe. Photos by Andrea Ferrari.

It’s absolutely no secret I am head over heals in love with the work of Milan based agency Studiopepe (remember this post? You guys went a little bit bonkers with the images on Pinterest).

Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinto have an unparalleled vision and an incredibly sharp aesthetic for exceptional interiors, art direction, styling and set design. Beautiful, edgy, yet accessible, Studiopepe continues to set the bar high for their highly spirited environments and experiences. Based in Milan, it comes as no surprise their work was on show in many, many places during the Milan Design Week. Hooray! Of course, being the shameless opportunist that I am, I jumped at the opportunity to show you some of the beautiful work they did.

Spotti ”Happy office happy home”. Concept and set up project by Studiopepe. Photos by Andrea Ferrari.

Above images are from the installation at the legendary Milan store Spotti titled “Happy office happy home”. The installation featured a number of examples of USM Swiss modular furniture in a series of interpretations of the modular system in vibrant colours in various settings. How clever to be able to reinterpret office furniture for the home in such a beautiful and spirited way. Also do note the clever use of the dreaded vertical blinds in pastel colours throughout the space. So, so good!

Concept and set up project by Studiopepe. Photos by Andrea Ferrari.

Spotti ‘Raw-Tech’. An exhibition curated by Studiopepe. Concept and set up project by Studiopepe. Photos by Andrea Ferrari.

Next door also at Spotti, was an exhibition curated by Studiopepe called Raw-Tech. The show featured a selection of products united by the desire of going rough and natural, combining raw materials with modern techniques or reinventing old crafts using new materials and knowledge. “Prime materials like stone, wood, wheat, fruit and vegetables or natural wax form the basis of the products while the rain, the sand or the drying process influence and shape the designs, giving them a strong and raw character.”

Ivano Redaelli stand at Salone del Mobile 2013. Creative Direction and Interior Project by Studiopepe. Photos by Silvia Rivoltella.

Italian premium bedding and textile company Ivano Redaelli, enlisted Studiopepe for the design and creative direction of their stand at Salone del Mobile 2013. The world of Ivano Redaelli is one of glamorous luxury, and their stand was designed to capture this mood. Ivano Redaelli pieces furnish the castles, palaces and yachts of the rich and famous, and the cream of European society. I mean, can’t you tell? Photos by Silvia Rivoltella.

Roll&Hill stand at Euroluce/ Salone del Mobile 2013. Styling project by Studiopepe. Photos by Nick Hughes for Yellowtrace.

And last, but definitely not least, a stand at Euroluce/ Salone del Mobile for the fantastic NYC lighting company Roll&Hill. Studiopepe were responsible for set up and styling of this small and very beautiful stand.

How are you going there? I know, so many moments of Extreme Love and pure Visual Ecstasy, it’s just not fair! Very sorry to fry your eyes with all this beauty. Maybe I’ll post something ugly tomorrow to balance it out… YEAH RIGHT! Anyway, if you can cope, there’s more to be discovered in the gallery below. Have fun!

[Images courtesy of Studiopepe. Photos by Andrea Ferrari, Silvia Rivoltella and Nick Hughes for Yellowtrace as noted.]

The post Studiopepe Installations for Spotti, Ivano Redaelli and Roll&Hill // Milan 2013. appeared first on yellowtrace blog ».

Raumzeichnung, roughly “Drawing of a Room,” Sumarrian Lunn gallery 2011.

Polish artist Monika Grzymala describes her work as three dimensional drawings. She studied sculpture, shifted to drawing and found her place somewhere in between. Rolls of tape are her “pen” of choice and she allows them to dive and ripple in all directions.

Two Corners, black tape, Montreal 2013.

Her earlier work began as quite polite insertions within the space, but over time her installations have become increasingly forceful and dynamic. Her most recent works infect the space with an unrelenting electric energy, well and truly transforming that humble roll of tape into its own life force. With names such as “Duplex,” “Two Corners” and “Pas De Deux,” there is a recurring reference to duality and the magnetism of opposing forces.

Polyhedron as part of A Serpentine Gesture and Other Prophecies, 2011.

Photo at Studio Berlin, 2010.

Part of group exhibition, Freeing the line, black and white tape, New York 2010.

Duplex at MIMA, graphite tape, London 2009.

Pas De Deux, graphite tape and lead pencil, 2009.

The work hints at the artist’s body swooping past and you can almost imagine her engaged in a full body act of “drawing.” At the risk of sounding like a creepy voyeur, I’d love to watch the process of her making these works. Or at least watch a time lapse on film. Would that be less creepy? Watching this work take shape would surely hold a magic in itself.

-Ella.

[Images via Monika Gryzmala, We Find Wilderness, Arsenal Montreal, Colossal, Co.Design, Cargo Curatorial.]

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Located in a former wrapping paper factory in New York City’s Tribeca, this fourth floor loft was recently transformed by the lucky ducks from Melbourne studio Nexus Designs. I say lucky, although it must have been completely horrible working on this project. Pfffttt, yeah right! The team at Nexus had previously worked with this savvy client on two Australian projects. They must have done something right, because the client came back for more.

Inspired by the Blue Mountains in New South Whales, dusky blue and purple upholstery is complemented by warm timbers and vibrant yellow tones. The aim was to create multiple living areas to provide intimacy and flexibility within the greater space. Below is a little Q&A with the designers about this project. Take it away ladies!

+ What was your design inspiration for this project – i.e was it a result of client’s brief, a particular concept or an idea etc?

The fact that this historically significant loft is located in the heart of Tribeca NYC was a pretty significant source of inspiration. Our client also gave us a brilliant starting point for the colour palette which was an image in one of our books called Using Australian Colour. The image was of the NSW Blue Mountains in the late afternoon with golden sunshine and deep purples and violets.

+ Your favourite thing about this project?

Who doesn’t love being able to say that they’re designing a loft in NYC for nine months?  But really the best thing was the absolute delight of our clients and the post-party text to tell us how well the space had been able to accommodate 65 people eating lobster and short ribs the night before.  We already knew it had the capacity to feel intimate and personal for the two of them, but now it was clear it could do it all.

+ Most challenging aspect? 

Only having two site visits and having to present a lot of our work by Skype.  There were a lot of FedEx packages zipping around the world with samples and drawings.

+ What did you learn during the project?

We always learn something new, but here there was one old lesson that we were happy to get reacquainted with: if you buy well designed, well made things you can have them for a very long time – we’ve been slowly building this client’s collection of furniture and artworks over more than a decade, and it was great to be able to just keep building on it and not have to add to landfill.

+ Would you have done anything differently?

We are really happy with the way this project turned out and so is the client, so no, we wouldn’t do anything differently. It’s a great example how a clear brief backed up by trust from a client let us do something beautiful and personal.

+ Any interesting/ funny/ quirky facts you could tell us?

For a while we were calling the furniture collection Noah’s Ark. We had two Egg Chairs, two Swans, two Chaises, two Jenette Chairs, two AJ Lamps, two Moooi Carbon Chairs etc etc, so we made sure that we got some odd numbers in there  to stop it from being too even.

[Images courtesy of Nexus Designs.]

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