This spread, House Rules, in the September 2009 issue of Wallpaper* really captured my attention. Wallpaper* is one of the most influential magazines in my collection and it has been since I discovered design. One of my all time favorite designers, Suzy Hoodless, was the first interiors editors at Wallpaper*. She has gone on to create Suzy Hoodless Design Consultancy, and has become a tastemaker of the UK.
The talent behind Wallpaper* didn’t stop with Suzy, but has escalated to new levels through the years, and is at the top of it’s game with the talent of Benjamin Kenton, Deputy Interiors Editor. After attending many lectures organized by Wallpaper* during Architectural Festival, Benjamin Kenton, was inspired at one of the lectures after a discussion on Parker Morris Housing Standards. These standards have been mandatory in the UK since 1967, but just last year more generous standards were introduced. The Parker Morris standards set the rules of how one should live within their home to maximize space.
Benjamin Kenton designed a 3-D diagram, with stylized measurements, to create a modern take on these standards. This seems a little ironic because we all know Wallpaper* is not known for following standards. At first glance, I didn’t realize this was a fabricated set rather than an actual interior. I thought the lines drawn on the floor were a great way to divide spaces in an open floorplan and I just loved the annotations spelling out the measurements, details, and the description of the spaces. I then realized this was the “ideal house” spelled out!
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The board of an investment group in capital stock wanted to have a self-called “power office.” i29 interior architects and Eckhardt & Leeuwenstein, two offices which collaborated during this project, created this by placing every board member in the spotlight on a playful way.
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You know what they say about a room with a big hand?!
No, I am not going there! These surprises in design are what you keep you coming back for more! Do you ever wonder how things that seem like they would be so wrong together can look so right. I guess just that right amount of wrong is right! It’s this play of scale, volumes, and proportions in design that I think is key to creating strong and memorable environments. Large portraits and photography become life-like and create strong stories and often times humorous tales. Oversized objects and furniture keep spaces lighthearted and friendly and they scream “come play with me.” Getting out of your head is always good and I feel like these spaces allow you to go above and beyond the constraints of everyday thinking. They really activate that imagination and allow you to let go of your inhibitions. Take a closer look at some great plays on scale and proportion.
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This contemporary 1980s home was completely gutted by Max Strang Architects from the popcorn ceilings to the floors. Amazingly, the contemporary exterior served as a great springboard for a more updated modern interior.
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I’ve never met an office or workspace I couldn’t whip into shape, be it at home or in the corporate world. When Design Milk invited me to be a guest writer, I couldn’t think of a better project to talk about than the desk of a friend and fellow entrepreneur. One look at where she was working every day and it was clear that there needed to be an intervention. The challenge? To create a balanced, workable work space that was easy on the eye, but also highly functional. I jumped right to the task.
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Editor’s note: Please welcome our newest contributor, Annie May of Yolksy. She is a writer, interior designer, and an overall inspiration. Learn more about Annie on our About page.
Design is not just about making spaces look amazing, but it’s about bringing rooms to life and telling stories through environments. The emotions created and stories fashioned within the space should evoke strong memories that will carry on. Studioilse is the champion of creating brands that are modern and emotional that can be smelt, heard, and felt. The transformation of Kettner’s Restaurant and Bar in London is just another example of their fine work. They returned Kettner’s to its former glory of a once famous meeting place of many great writers and actors. These theatrical roots are expressed through the dramatic interiors full of glitz and glam, classic sophistication, elegant extras, and that modern vibrant flair.
“We wanted to return Kettner’s to its rightful place for all kinds of people of all ages, to have fun,” says Studioilse’s Ilse Crawford. “We’ve created different worlds within the space to suit different times of the day and different occasions, and to revive its slightly risqué Bohemian culture as a central Soho Landmark for generations to come”. Each room in this space is alive and takes on it’s own character, check out the leading ladies!
Let’s take a tour of a few rooms, shall we?
This lovely table sure does stand out in the crowd! Wonder who she’s waiting for…oh the suspense?
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These traverse plate covers are a nice detail to make your space just a little more special.
A modern home, located high above Los Angeles, flawlessly designed and crafted by renowned European designer Marc Canadell. This home is located above the famous Sunset Strip and is perfectly perched at the end of a cul-de-sac in the celebrity “Bird” streets. The residence offers over 9,000 square feet of luxury living, including five bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and over an acre of complete privacy … it can be yours for a mere $17 million. Ouch! Wait…is that a movie projected on the side of the house?
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Alastair and Kayoko, aka BAKOKO, recently moved from London to Tokyo to expand their architecture business. They completely gutted and renovated their new Tokyo apartment, now it’s a modern mansion marvel.
“Man-shi-yon” is a euphemism the Japanese long-ago appropriated to describe the generic concrete apartment blocks forming much of Japan’s sprawling metropolises. The tiny units inside are often cramped and outdated by modern standards. “Reform” [or refurbishment] of any type of building used to be rare in Japan. The earth-quake prone country has always had a disposable disposition to its housing, preferring to tear-down and rebuild anew rather than re-use existing dwellings. Now, the boom and bust throw-away culture seems to be giving way to more sustainable resourcefulness and a preference for clean, modern living spaces.
New to Tokyo, we decided to transform a typical “mansion” apartment into a contemporary Japanese home. We arrived from London in late 2008 in need of a place to live and establish our emerging practice, BAKOKO. We settled on an small apartment in an eastern suburb, only 30 minutes by train from Central Tokyo. With a distant view of majestic Mt. Fuji to the West and a gaudy neon-lit “love hotel” to the East it truly embodies the modern paradoxes of Japan. Most people don’t think that buying a home around Tokyo would be affordable, but unlike London or New York we were surprised when we didn’t find ourselves priced out of the market here.
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