Modern Interior Design Blog – Just Seen

The appeal of a black and white photograph may be in the form. In the absence of color you can redirect your focus to depth, line and gradation.  Black and white interiors can be similarly captivating. The classic combination can make a major design element pop or call our attention to details. In these vignettes from ASI Interios in Chicago, black and white are tastefully combined to provide interest, focus and a sense of design intent.

In this bedroom, a range from white to tan is used in a variety of subtle but differentiated textures. The sculptural lamp base, which could certainly hold its own, is punctuated with the simple solid black shade. The addition of the stark contrast draws our attention, not to the black shade, but directly to the figure giving the piece dominance in the composition. The result is not wholly classical or contemporary, but does a wonderful job of bridging the two.

 A modern black counter and oversized silver mirror with a distinctive sink and faucet design could easily feel overpowering. But in this case, ASI Interiors used a large, graphic black and white wall paper that offers the perfect counterbalance to the contemporary vanity. The wall graphic holds its own on several counts: the contrasting black and white color combination, the large scale of the motif and the juxtaposition of the curvy, swirling lines against the harder edges of the vanity.

An entry with no furnishings, only built-in display niches - yet the strength of the high contrast color scheme makes the space feel full and alive. The black door commands attention – the adjacency of the display shelving creates prominence by association. One can step from initial impact, to adjacent point of interest and down to the detail of the shelf contents, the floor and ceiling.

All of the work in this article is from projects completed by ASI Interiors’  Denise Antonucci and Jerry Sanfilippo, ASID. They have been working together for over 15 years in the Chicago area.

Featured in Interior Design Magazine, FTF Design’s West Chin completes a Battery Park City Duplex in clean crisp white accented with dashes of bright color creates a beautiful contrast to the gray tones of its urban context. FTF Design is also getting ready to launch a new collection of hardware – not to disappoint, the look is clean, crisp and modern available in dark bronze, satin nickel and, of course, white.

How about that Google – featuring the work of Swedish Designer Josef Frank. Almost 50 years old when he fled Nazism in Austria for Sweden, where he became one of that nation’s most important designers. As a young man he was part of the modernism movement in Vienna. However, his brand of modernism was not in line with the likes of Le Corbusier. He favored a freer artistic aesthetic. Frank began working at Svenskt Tenn in 1934 and went on to produce over 2,000 furniture sketches and 160 textile designs.

 Jerry Jacobs is a San Francisco based Interior Designer. Although I usually tend toward more modern interiors, I was particularly taken with this room, in a flat in the Presidio Heights area of San Francisco. I love the soft palatte punctuated by the strong piece of art and the dark floors and chandelier. The combination of textiles definitely gets my attention without becoming a distraction. I asked Jerry about the project – I was so curious about that painting – was it the inspiration or the final complement? “The homeowner had seen the painting early in the process and asked me if I could work with it. To me it looked like a modern Toulouse Lautrec… also I have always liked red, black and white motifs, so I said yes. She purchased it and we did work around it a bit.” Jerry said he insisted on the black frame to match the floor and chandelier. At the client’s request,  yellow was selected as the primary color, which worked well with the girls’ hair. I admire the restraint excercised in this room – I asked Jerry how he knows when he’s finished. “I am usually very restrained, I find that it makes interiors last longer or become timeless. I tend to be monochromatic, but I do like to bring life into the spaces. In this case natural light worked very well too.” He went on to say that there was no more need, the room was complete. I wholeheartedly agree.

Jerry Jacobs has been in professional practice for 25 years. His completed projects include private residences, boutiques, restaurants, clubs and arcades and lobbies. He has worked from San Francisco to Beverly Hills to Mexico and the Carribean. His hospitality and retail work has taken hime to 30 states, London, Paris, Mexico and Costa Rica. Jerry is the President of the ASID California North for 2009-2010. www.JerryJacobsDesign.com

Given a blank slate and a dramatic setting, what would a designing couple choose for their own retreat?

The backdrop: Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. High on a hilltop with a sweeping view of the Gulf of St Lawrence and Highlands National Park.

The designers: Los Angeles based Alexandra and Eliot Angle.

The initial impluse: a modern glass house. 

The reality: a practical saltbox.

But everything happens for a reason… in the right hands, a simple saltbox becomes simply beautiful. The color palate was informed by its context: grasses, wildflowers, water and sky. Over ten different hues of blue, gray and green were used in the house. The place is sparsely furnished, but for the Angle’s, each piece has something to say. The vintage metal table provides a place to paint while taking in the majestic view and the Jens Risom Stools have been in the family for three generations. 

The open plan kitchen/dining area though decidedly modern, acknowledges basic elements of the classic cottage: beadboard, wood, wicker and clean white accents.  The room is anchored by a custom maple table built locally and surrounded by Gio Ponti’s shapely Superleggera Chairs in bright white. The paneled cabinetry is finished in a traditional Britannia blue with industrial hardware. The open shelving above recalls a traditional cabin. However, the items on the shelves are not your standard rag-tag seconds, but a carefully edited collection of functional, yet beautiful, working pieces. The Autoban Octopus lights the room from above.

The living area is dominated by the band of windows capturing the view. Everything else seems to support taking in that expanse: from the window seat cushions upholstered in the greens and blues borrowed from the landscape to the natural wicker Foglia Chairs and the simple maple Toothpick Table.

The soothing palate was carried through to the master bedroom where simplicity carries into the night – Eliot fashioned the bedside table from a piece of driftwood found on the beach. Clearly a special place, made even more appealing by the Angle’s masterful response to the environment and committment to bring in only those things which would enhance the experience.

Alexandra ANGLE Interior DESIGN

A den in a La Canada-Flintridge home by E4 Architects features Della Robbia’s Monti Sectional Sofa. Custom throw pillows in Repeat Dot Ring 003 Apple by Hella Jongerius for Maharam. The Jacobsen Swan Chair is upholstered in Kvadrat Hallingdal 901 fabric available through Scott + Cooner. Knoll Toothpick table in maple available through Inform. and the Tolomeo Mega Floor Lamp by  Artemide. Custom area rug .

E4 Architects

Introduced in 1967, Corian®, made from an acrylic polymer and alumina trihydate, gained popularity because of its incredible versatility. Who better to explore the possibilities than designer Harry Allen? In June of 2009, Allen completed work on the Corian® Design Studio in Philadelphia. Allen’s hope was “…that this showroom will demonstrate how much fun it is to work with Corian®.” True to his design intent, the studio demonstrates how far this material can be pushed.

Located in a 1920’s industrial space repurposed as a design center, the showroom was set up with gallery-like simplicity as a backdrop for the material. Allen then proposed a series of “events” around the 2500 square foot showroom: Cloud Wall, Sample Desk, Vertical Surfaces, Conference Table, Window Panels, Facade, Zodiac™  Wall and an Illuminated Ceiling. Each of the events employed a unique manipulation or process applied to Corian® to demonstrate the possibilities.

Cloud Wall utlized a dye sublimation process where the photographic image of clouds was thermally transferred and embedded into the surface of a 1/2″ piece of Corian®. The panels were hung and lit creating a point of interest visible from outside the showroom.

The illuminated ceiling encases bulges of light in an orderly grid. The Corian® Illumination Series is a translucent material designed for lighting applications. The panels were created by heating the material and then vacuum forming it in molds.

In a dynamic display of the seamless pliability for which Corian® has become best known, the sweeping conference table and meeting area spans two rooms. Allen: “The brief specified two meeting areas, not two tables, so as if it was chewing gum, the table was stretched into two lobes, right through the glass wall.” The table was thermoformed into molds created using CNC technology and built over a wood frame.

Window panels were created using Backlight Images, a process that converts an image into a 3D relief. In this case, the image chosen was the view directly outside the window. The relief was realized on a panel of translucent Corian®. When the light passes through the panel, the image comes to life, replicating the shading of the original image.

The sample desktop was fashioned from a piece of Corain® with a statement of Allen’s creative process inscribed on the top via a CNC process. The inscription was then filled with bartop epoxy and sanded smooth. The desktop is supported by a cube-console that not only houses, but is covered with a patchwork of Corian® samples.

Cabinet fronts were Corian® panels that were cut, embossed, etched, lasered, pressed and CNC’d. This was an experimentation in process and design. To maintain continuity, each pattern was run at a 45 degree angle. The hope was “…this sampling will inspire others to try their hand at new patterns and textures.”

The facade with its Corian® and glass bubble pattern is less a division between the studio and the hallway and more an active invitation to enter the space. The facade was accomplished with standard fabrication techniques but provides a reminder that Corian® is also well suited for exterior applications.

Harry Allen established his multidisciplinary design studio in 1993. His projects have included interior design, products and concept development. His design work is innovative and intelligent and is as varied as the Moss store in Soho to the Reality Series for Areaware.

DuPont(TM), Corian(R), and Zodiaq(R) are registered  trademarks or trademarks of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates

In the world of design, that place between incomplete and overdone is not so easy to find, however, designer Chris Kraig seems to know exactly where to go with this Manhattan townhouse.  By juxtaposing contrasting forms and materials, he creates a serene yet inspired space. 

In the double height living room shown above, the bold artwork echos the context of the city (just outside the windowa) in scale and intensity. The furniture selections, which anchor the room, are in the simplest white and natural tones.  Pairing the industrial chrome and glass coffee table and its near opposite hand carved wood side table achieve a sort of balanced tension. The Jacobson Egg chair holds its own between the city view and art work  because of its bold shape and height.  

The design does a brilliant job of bringing you from the top of the room down by drawing your attention, in height, scale and intensity from the window and art, across to the fireplace surround, back to the sideboard and finally down to the seating area.

The roof deck of the same townhouse allows the backdrop of the city to provide the drama. The simplicity of the white corian topped XX Dining Table surrounded by the near transparent Arper Leaf chair stands in stark contrast to the ultra-urban context.

Kraig has a demonstrated ability to combine bold and subtle, industrial and organic to acheive a balanced, cojent design.

Chris Kraig Studio for Suite New York

Mark Odom Studio is based in Austin, Texas. His studio m(odm) strives to reach that equilibrium between clean line and chaos. His studio and his clients place a value on exploration. The residence pictured above was created for a local artist. A design/build project for m(odm), Rosewood was a Five Star Green rated project completed on a budget.

We were particularly interested in the industrial finishes used in the project. On the floor, what is usually the plywood sub-floor was sanded and finished with a few layers of clear coat. Polygal (twin wall) is used both inside and out to create diffused light with a measure of privacy.

After removing the forms for the poured in place concrete counter top, both he and the owner were facinated with the raw concrete edge. It “…worked with the idea of balancing clean lines vs raw industrial..”.  The metal carport entry door was painted red and what looks almost like a framed artwork is actually the blue painter’s tape protecting the door window. The owner/artist liked the look of it and left it in place. The steel pipe handrail is just an off-the-shelf piece attached to the wall with welded L brackets.

The Green Star status was earned by using raw materials as finishes, effcient lighting, a tankless waterheater and appropriately sized HVAC – simple stuff, not expensive, high tech systems. The project was also built on an infill lot near public transportation. Responsible creativity, you gotta love that.

In another project, Odom was charged with converting an industrial warehouse into a combination residence / gallery. He needed to find a way to create an open floor plan that still provided separation between public and private spaces. Another major design challenge was lighting: how to balance natural and artificial lighting.

Because the space receives so much natural light from the existing large windows, Odom elected to go with a darker color palate. He felt the darker palate  helped to balance  the flood of natural light and gave the interior spaces a greater sense of intimacy. Much of the furniture was from the owner’s own collection.

 It is clear that Odom has been able to connect with like-minded clients that want to try something out of the ordinary. Take a look at his other projects at m(odom).

Re-design, re-creation and re-invention are not easy – but that is the challenge for designer Susanna Kost who works with many repeat clients. Often projects require rethinking the client’s original collections and furnishings, with an eye towards simplfying.

Kost believes “Rooms should leave space for the occupant’s personality…for candles, flowers and music and party guests…” Rooms should celebrate the client’s personality, which can be complicated.

One of her favorite quotes is from Jean Cocteau “Style is a simple way of saying complicated things”. Kost uses art, collections and accessories in rotating combinations to keep a room fresh. Her feeling is that rooms that do not evolve, become stale.

So how is style expressed without becoming cluttered or overdone? According to Kost, restraint and careful editing aka controlled exuberance. Displaying collections allows each piece to retain its importance and yet the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

Current passions? “My current passion is metallic anything – I love reflection”. The wall panels in this library are finished with a metallic automotive paint (the backdrop for a rotating art collection), under a mirrored ceiling and furnished with metallic pink leather chairs. “The shimmer in the night with candles is spectacular”.

How to describe her work? Kost loves to combine divergent styles in what may be described as uber-eclectic. She has completed projects that she labels “The Jetsons meets LA Confidential” and “Mid-Century meets Cribs”. Currently she is working on her own home which looks to be moving in the direction of “Zen-Glam” – think hemp, metalic gold, Asian antiques.

See more from Susanna Kost.