Pattern, Pattern, Chair

A fun part of my schedule this week was shooting remotely at home for Citytv’s Cityline. The subject was our principal bedroom, a space that had a forced renovation due to some major construction we endured over the summer.

Things have definitely changed in the space, and for the better for sure. I can’t wait to share the results with you, and it’s extra fun looking back at how the space looked when it was shot by Angus Fergusson for House & Home magazine more than 11 years ago.

Cheers, Arren

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Dots and squares, oh my! Just say yes to this rather fab collab between creative consultants and 3D designers Terzo Piano and Or.nami wallpaper, which playfully toys with trompe-l'œil to stunning visual effect. Think simple graphic shapes and drop shadows inspired by architectural design.

Available in either vinyl or rather covetable silk, there are 4 designs in different colourways to whet your whistle - I’m already dreaming and scheming of a space where I can use them.

Terzo Piano X Or.nami - Pattern 2

Terzo Piano X Or.nami - Pattern 3

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While one of my current projects includes a chic little bathroom in white and grey, this brand new collection by artist and designer Nathalie Du Pasquier for Mutina tiles definitely has me drooling.

More is definitely more here. Du Pasquier’s wonderfully barmy layering of pattern on pattern is key, with a perfect mix of fifties modernism and vintage designs all thrown together with gay abandon. And, if the 41 tiles in the Mattonelle Margherita collection aren’t enough, there’s also 11 coordinating paint colours for all you OCD design fans out there that want everything to match. Seriously.

Oh, and the art direction for the collection’s launch? It’s all feeling very cinematic and inspirational, and honestly I could happily post every single shot, but will show some restraint with the three faves below. Scope out the rest of the collection, here.

Wall: Star, Stripes, Marghe Black. Floor: Double Red, Stripes.

Wall: Marghe White, Frame Black, Marghe Half White, Marghe Half Black, Line. Floor: Petals, Line. Margherita Paint: Sand Matt.

Wall: Marghe Light Blue, Stripes, Star, Kite White, Square Black, Marghe Black. Floor: Marghe Light Blue, Double Red, Stripes.

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Am I the only person that dreams about chairs? This one in particular sent me down a bit of an internet rabbit hole, to be sure.

I first spotted the vintage originals in this stunning apartment in Florence, with masterfully edited interiors by Massimo Adario (click here to see more). Though they couldn’t look more at home in this space with views across the Arno, these spectacularly curvy seats were originally designed by Czech architect Jan Bočan for furnishing the Embassy of Czechoslovakia in Stockholm in 1972.

While the originals, made for Bočan by Thonet in lacquered bentwood and cane, deservedly fetch a pretty penny, I was fascinated to see that new versions of the chair are de rigueur in all sorts of chic interiors in Australia.

Available in both black and natural from the folks at Worn, and stunningly well priced I might add (I did the conversion), the sad news is that they won’t ship outside of Australia. But, kudos to Worn for their commitment to ethical sustainability, since their Cane Loungers are made of non-chemically treated materials harvested from sustainably managed plantations. Plus, for every chair sold a native tree is planted to help offset carbon emissions.

Brownie points to whoever can send me a source closer to home…

Photo: Laura Fantacuzzi and Maxime Galati-Fourcade

Worn’s Cane Lounger in Black

Irregularly Interesting

Here we are again, in another irregular missive from the world of design meant to spur a little creativity. Last week we accidentally ended up entirely in France. C’est la vie, I suppose. So today I wanted to dig a little deeper and post a few faves that caught my eye from from other locales. Let’s grab a pin and burst that design bubble, shall we?

Cheers, Arren

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You can’t help but ogle the shots posted by Spanish stylist Pete Bermejo, whose work is lively, layered and FUN, with a healthy dose of insanity - which I totally agree with (see more of his drool-worthy work on his website, here). The particular snap I chose is of an interior by Belgian designer JP Demeyer for AD Spain, styled by Pete and shot by Belen Imaz.

Yes, you can check the current must-haves of tropical plants and white walls off of the list, but it’s all the playful mix of everything else that keeps it fresh. Hello, flokati rug! Why the hell are there rocks hanging from the ceiling? And - thank heavens - there isn’t a Pierre Jeanneret chair in sight.

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To swipe the Ettore Sottsass quote from Philadelphia-based product designer Carl Durkow’s Insta profile in its entirety - “Design should be sensual and exciting.” Carl’s hand-poured candle series definitely embodies this ethos, not to mention the fact that his work definitely picks up on that Memphis Group vibe. Think of the undulating lines of Sottsass’s iconic Ultrafragola mirror. Anyways, whether you see chess pieces, honey dippers or sex toys when you look at them, a set will certainly up your candle game when next the lights go out. Get yours here.

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Monique Van der Reijden is a Dutch journalist, stylist and trend forecaster who is constantly posting gag worthy shots in Insta, this one included, which was styled by her at Elle Decoration NL’s Fluid Forces showcase at Dutch Design Week. Curves, obvs, are a thing.

BUT, LETS TALK ABOUT THE CHAIR.

It’s the Lana from fab Guatemala-based Agnes Studio, and is upholstered in shaggy Momostenango wool sourced from the Guatemalan highlands. Please note, all your chairaholics out there, that if natural isn’t your thing, it’s also available in a sexy burnt orange colour through AGO Projects. Not comfy enough? Well thank heavens they also make a matching ottoman.