Recently I had the chance to put together a Style Scout feature for the National Post that covered cool and unusual gear made of clear acrylic, and one of my fav products (apart from an eye-wateringly pricey wall sconce by the legendary William Haines) was the super cute Akbar table from the US interior design team of White Webb. When I dug a little deeper through their website, I realized I'd admired the work of Matthew White and Frank Webb before - At the Kips Bay Decorator Show House last year, where they 'papered' the walls with tin can lids with very glam results. Nope, you did read that last sentence correctly...
Matthew and Frank kindly agreed to take a few minutes to answer '5 quick questions', and to share more shots from their portfolio (they are definitely talented mixmasters in their choice of furnishings). Below you'll see the Akbar and Double Alexander tables; part of their Clearly Classic Collection, followed by a shot from Kips Bay (who'd ever think tin cans could look so good?). Next we have a recent interior in California that's quite the fabulous space and finally, two shots from a smart New York apartment (that persimmon media room is something else!). To check out more '5 quick questions' click here. [Images: 1, Bjorn Wallander. 2,3, Steven Nilsson. 4, Matthew White. 5,6, 7, Art Gray]
Arren Williams: What’s inspiring you right now?
White Webb: America’s new President is a huge inspiration. Following his lead, we want to use our talents to improve our community. We know that a beautiful surrounding lifts spirits and has the potential to change behavior. Whether that means helping clean parks or painting community centers, we plan on doing something.
AW: Is there anything that makes you shudder when you walk into a room?
WW: Sensory overload. We love dramatic gestures and bold strokes, but you have to be careful not to create a visual assault.
AW: What’s the next thing you have your eye on for your place?
Matthew: The time to enjoy it!
Frank: A dreamily abstract, hand-blocked wallpaper from Alpha Workshops.
AW: How do you define your personal style?
WW: We try to embrace the best of old and new to create something that feels rooted in history, but thoroughly of today. When you have a classicist (Matthew) and a modernist (Frank) sitting down at the table together, you’d expect the potential for a fair amount of conflict, but it really doesn’t work that way with us. We begin by taking our cues from the architecture, but then it’s a real give and take as we let our very different imaginations fly.
AW: What’s next?
WW: Because of the wonderful response to our acrylic tables, we will be expanding the Clearly Classic Collection. Also percolating are book ideas, a new (very glam) furniture line, and surprising happenings on the Internet. We feel 2009 will be a truly exciting year!
