OLD FAVOURITES: clean shapes for elegant furniture

When planning furniture layouts I find helpful to create a framework of simple, solid pieces. Clean shapes and good quality are the foundation of a design which will then allow "dressing up" or "down" with accessories. Here are some old favourites, furniture and upholstery design I revisit all the time given their versatile proportions:

Dark, nearly black, stained oak furniture with modernist inspired chunky detailing and proportions

Upholstery, unless you are designing an accent piece, benefits once again from clean shapes (whether including traditional scroll arms or 20th century square detailing)

The more detailed the piece the more crucial it becomes that quality is impeccable. If budget is an issue, simple choices always pay off.

Once a framework of smart pieces of furniture has been created... colour and accessories can be added.

It's a simple recipe but one that will allow future changes without too much disruption.

COLOURS AND SHAPES: confident interior design

As new interior design trends emerge our level of confidence wains and, periodically, we tend to follow new, strict, unwritten rules. As we absorb and come to better understand new influences, we appear to gain the necessary confidence to break some of those rules. Over the last few years British interior design has become familiar with oriental influences, retro design, simplified structural detailing, subtler use of colour and overall cleaner lines. This new "language" of design has now become so familiar that many designers are attempting slightly richer combinations.

While leafing through an old copy of Architectural Digest (Italy, Jan 2008) I came across a photograph which illustrates this approach. Interestingly however, the project belongs to a design firm based in Brescia (Angelo Brignolli and Antonio Feraboli of Studio Linea) whose background, judging by their online portfolio, is very different to that of their UK counterparts. Most of their projects appear routed in the history of Italian architecture and furniture design and executed in conpemporary style. In the bedroom shown above the predominance of clean lines and good proportions allow the designers to play with colour and softened shapes. Ethnic influences are interpreted, not slavishly obeyed. The resulting elegance in no way forfeits comfort or warmth: an interesting example of contemporary UK design from Italian designers! There are obviously many routes one can follow to competent design...

LIGHTING DESIGN: an afterthought?

Often the afterthought, lighting still appears to be low down on the list of most home owners. Interior designers stress the importance of lighting design, clients agree but often struggle to pay anything more than... lip service to the idea.
London lighting retailers recently seem to have taken a different approach to the issue. As the likes of Mr Resistor start offering lighting consultancy services the high street finally makes room for light planning as well as the lamp selling. Specialised lighting consultancy used to be limited to projects with extremely healthy budgets. Naturally this raises the question of unbiased advice. Clearly, as fixed fees and hourly rates become more competitive, specifying becomes crucial. It is hardly surprising that some retailers - now consultants - will be specifying more or less exclusively from the manufacturers and ranges they stock. Nothing wrong with that if the products are worthy of the price tag!
As a clearer understanding of the subject emerges, as simple yet rational light layering becomes standard, as the function of each light source becomes more clearly defined .... only a select few lamps will be required to be decorative objects in our homes and more will be able to aim for excellence.

DECKING - MORE GARDENING!

Two people asked me about top end of the market garden decking this week. I don't actually do gardens but I asked a man who does. Adam at http://www.bls1.co.uk/ gave me the bottom line.
1. Hardwood v. softwood: hardwood seems to be an allround winner, with the only possible exception of Cedar (which Adam says looks better in rustic/country environments).
2. Grooved v. flat: although the arguement originally was that grooves allow better drainage of rain water, Adam's take is that the grooves reduce the amount of foot grip and may therefore be more slippery; grooves also tend to collect dirt making it harder to clean the deck.
3. Types of hardwood: it's no conincidence that teak is mostly used on boats. Iroko and Greenheart were also mentioned. Clearly, the higher the content of oil the more durable the wood when exposed to the elements.
4. Reccomendations: great preparation prior to laying the deck will ensure lack of movement and absence of weed re-growth.

N.B. This is all fairly expensive stuff. At the opposite end of the spectrum are the trated softwoods and, somewhere in the middle, Ipe, Massaranduba, etc.