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.

LIMITED FURNISHING BUDGET: no limit to good taste

If you are on a limited budget, whether furnishing a first time buyer's flat or a rental investment, the golden rule has to be "keep it simple". The lower the quality the more important it is to keep detail to a minimum. Where tables and worktops are concerned thicker depths often make items look more expensive. In an earlier post you saw a small kitchen designed for a rental flat. The following are some of the furnishing suggestions made for the same property. These should give an idea of how a limit on budget does not have to result in a limit on good taste. Stick to your "simplicity" rule across the board. When it comes to fabrics make plainess and budget inversely proportional: the smaller the first the plainer the second! See the board below: plain fabrics can be of a lesser quality and the difference will hardly be noticeable while patterned fabrics need to be better quality.

Compare this to a more complicated design. Take for instance one plublished months ago which included laquered side tables and a mother of pearl chest. Given the quality of those items the design was a success. On a smaller budget the lime green would probably have to be dropped and the overall number of colours decreased. The risk is that the room would otherwise look slightly amateurish.
(furniture and fabrics above, among others, from Dwell and Andrew Martin)

LOSING THE INTERIOR DESIGN FORMULA: office furniture at home

We are refurbishing offices for the first time in years. As a result we have recently looked at various manufacturers and distributors of office furniture. The wealth of styles and qualities available on the market today allow for a number of "cross-over" permutations. Clearly office furniture can be used in studies or home-offices, but many boardroom tables will serve as wonderful dining tables and a number of sheleving solutions could be ideal for media rooms and home cinemas. Have a look around. You might like to start with Matteo Grassi's leather topped meeting table or Tecno's uncompromising clean shapes and proportions.

FURNISHING AT STARK'S: lucite & the age of jazz

Pick up a copy of Architectural Digest online if you have moment to spare. Stark's Manhattan's showroom must be worth a visit... especially so if you are inspired by the 30s and 40s and keen on Lucite!

VINTAGE LEATHER ARMCHAIR: one of the "musts"

Trendy as they may be, vintage leather armchairs need to be comfortable. Open the debate: do we sacrifice looks in the name of comfort (i.e. go for a reproduction) or do we make no concession to our nether regions and stick with the weathered and sleek look of an original early 20th cent. specimen (ideally a vintage Vanity Fair armchair by Potrona Frau)?

As always, there are added complications: repro is not only a concept to be avoided at all costs but it often fails to guarantee the very comfort in the name of which we sacrificed our design integrity!

Lets look at some figures to better understand the options available. At the time of writing the cheapest repro (top picture) could be bought for approx. £300 on the internet. Poltrona Frau were selling their Vanity Fair (new, as shown above in red) for ten times as much. I doubt a good vintage specimen of the Vanity Fair would cost any less. Time seems to have failed to alter the design as well as the price tag of this classic.

On that basis the sensible solution seems to be, as always, the most time consuming: finding an importer of French originals who is willing to work with you on therestoration process. Hopefully this will ensure the chair is re-sprung and restored where necessary and a gorgeous leather can be chosen if complete re-upholstery is required. Interior design: the art of seemless compromise...

Note: if money and time are no object you know what to do.