Famous interiors…Falling water

Designed and built between 1936 and 1939, Fallingwater is by the American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.  The cantilevered design was a masterpiece of engineering at the time- the building seemingly hanging over a waterfall.

Though the exterior is awe inspiring, especially seen in the context of its time,  the interior is just as iconic and still influences contemporary interior design.

The open plan layout and the low seating creates a casual atmosphere very unusual for 30s contemporary life.   Note the warm palette and the banquette seating.  These were pieces that were designed to lounge upon casually.  The windows are large and take advantage of the beautiful setting.

The stonework echoes the dramatic waterfall outside.   It has a cave-like but cosy feeling, though the interior opens to the exterior, the warm furnishings create a restful ambience.   The dramatic hearth  incorporates some of the boulders that form the cliff that the house is built on.   This was one of the first interiors that celebrated the roughness and raw beauty of natural materials, and celebrated the rustic beauty of nature.

The layout of the house encouraged communal living and the outdoors.  Bedrooms were designed to be small, so that its inhabitants  focused on the beautiful surroundings with each other.

This iconic house inspired the fictional Vandamm house in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 film, North by Northwest.  Hitchcock was a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, but the movie budget did not swing to hiring the world famous architect, so a realistic interpretation was built.

Fallingwater’s natural style, layout and connection with the outdoors still influences the design of contemporary interiors.

Coffee table styling

We’re getting busy here at Eclectic Cool.  I thought it would be great to introduce a fellow interior lover to the blog, Beks.      Here are her tips on styling a coffee table.  Thanks, Beks!

Recently, a visit to a client inspired us to blog about styling a coffee table.

This essential piece of furniture, often ignored and unfortunately prone to clutter, is a key piece in all living areas.

Instead of using it as a collection place for a multitude of  remote controls or a place to rest your plate or feet while watching tv- why not use it to add interest and beauty to your interior space .

Whether small or  large; square, round  or rectangular, all coffee tables deserve to be styled in a way that reflects your personal taste, displaying objects you love.

With our  simple formula, you can easily achieve a stylish look that is both functional  and which adds character to your room.

Start with something natural (1) – the most obvious choice here being a floral arrangement.  We love using a one type of flowers in a simple vase- or a pot of orchids for something a bit long lasting.   However, if flowers aren’t your thing then another natural element such as a piece of driftwood or even flowering branches may be more to your taste.

Add piles of books(2): coffee table books that are in proportion to the size of your table. Choose beautiful books on subjects that interest you, with bold covers, interesting colours and pile them in small groups  of three (largest at the bottom). The number of piles is up to you but I like an even number if the table is round or square and odd numbers if the table is rectangular.

In HK, Page One has the best collection of coffee table books and we stock quite a few design books too.  

Place a tray or jar on your table (3).  This is a place to collect smaller  objects such as remote controls, keys, coasters etc.  Trays not only look stylish but they keep things tidy too! Try one in an interesting material such as lucite  or something more traditional such as mirrored glass, metal or wood.

Lastly add an object of interest  or a personal touch to your arrangement (3). This piece  will create a statement about your style. It could be a quirky object that has meaning to you or something more sculptural.

Follow these simple rules and you will soon have a table you will be proud of!

Check out more coffee table styling images here.

Cool…apartment redesign

Hong Kong spaces are nothing if not small.  One thing that you have to understand that the listed size of an apartment may not actually be the correct size: when renting or buying  an apartment make sure that you ask what is the ‘saleable’ size, rather than the gross size.  The saleable size takes out the common amenities and actually indicates space.

In Sheung Wan, where the stop is located, even over the last 3 months that we have been here, I have seen the quick gentrification of the area, where locals who have lived here for years are being pushed out by high rents.   I guess it is not the first city where this has happened.    Now, you often see expat faces, climbing the stairs of traditional tong laus.   We are increasingly getting a lot of work from clients who are looking to redecorate these small spaces.   Some forward thinking types have managed to buy whole buildings and are turning them into multi level homes.

The project at 226 Hollywood Road, designed by Ilse Crawford, gives some indication of the possibility of these spaces.   From the glossy charcoal grey tiles to the lush walnut cabinetry that takes advantage of the view of the park (in HK called an ‘outdoor seating area’)  opposite.   Something like this project, does seduce you with the idea of downsizing your life and moving to a smaller and more central, space.

Cool…Malene Birger

Danish fashion designer, Malene Birger, is one of my all time favorite design icons.   Her clothing is interesting without being too fashionable ( you can wear her pieces for years) but I think her interiors are even better.   Peruse her book, Malene Birger- Life and Work- and you get not only a tour of her houses around the world but her workspaces as well.

Her house in Palma is amazing.   Of course, you can’t really go wrong with a structure like this.   Don’t you love the oversized GUBI Bestlites (9XL in black)  over the table ( I would have hung them a bit lower- the cord is really nice).  We have them in our store.

Cool…new Normann Copenhagen

At Maison&Objet last week, I fell in love with Normann Copenhagen’s new collections.   I’ve put in the order and will go into more detail later but I wanted to share with you two beautiful images of their new collection of products including the fabulous new bedlinen and their new ceramics.    Gorgeous….

& the colour of the year is…

We love green here at Eclectic Cool as you know.  So we were thrilled to hear that PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald, a lively, radiant, lush green, is the Color of the Year for 2013.   Described as “Lively. Radiant. Lush… A color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony.”

I have a  partiality to emerald green- it is my birthstone & I am married to an Irishman of course- so I guess it is in my blood.   Every colour looks good against a splash of green- it is 2013′s neutral.  It symbolises life and growth & nothing is more rejuvenating than looking out onto a vista of green fields and taking in the scent of foliage.

How to do blue and white

A client was telling me this week that they love blue and white but don’t know how to use it without seeming too traditional. Yes, a room filled with blue and white porcelain smacks of unoriginality.    Now I love the odd vintage blue and white plate but I have to confess that I have only ever designed childrens’ rooms in the traditional hue.

The key to making blue look contemporary is to choose a shade that is less traditional.  These moodboards by the excellent designtraveller use natural blues such the skin of blueberries and figs as their inspiration.   Mix in a few unpredictable colours, orangey red, bright yellow and the look is instantly contemporary & original.   Even the paler hues look fab mixed with silver and rich browns.   Make sure you only use blue and white as an accent.    Whatever you do in HK don’t group them together.   What works in Delft  ends up looking like a cheap porcelain store here.

Cool…the Evelyn Grace Academy, Brixton

If you read this blog often, you would know that I have a major admiration for Zaha Hadid Architects, ever since I did a project inspired by her during my interior architecture student days.

So flicking through her website, I was taken aback by the image of the RIBA Stirling award winning project.

The Evelyn Grace Academy, is situated in Brixton, an area once known for its crime and poverty but over the last 10 years has increasingly improved.   Having once been a teacher, this project also resonated with me because of its conceptual basis.    It was conceived as a ‘school within schools’, where four different schools are housed within the campus, creating a more intimate relationship between the school, its teachers and students.

As you can see in the images, the teaching spaces are light and bright, with a lot of flexibility.   The spaces are also available to the community to use, contributing to the continuing regeneration of Brixton.

This is a project that shows exactly how architecture can change a community and the lives of the people that live within it.

Cool… Designer, Suzie Stanford

Australian designer, Suzie Stanford, has been fascinated by the stuff that other people throw away as long as she can remember.   Last week, she visited Hong Kong as a guest of Lane Crawford for Fashion’s Night Out event.   While we stitched away on a tapestry design that Suzie drew for me, we had a great chat about her designs and design process.

Suzie is most known for her tapestry and tea towel chairs.   All the components of her designs are made up of found objects, rescued and revived and then made new and fresh.   Suzie does all the work herself by hand- from the stitching of the tapestries to the upholstery of the chairs.  She gets up early each morning to scour the markets and auction houses to pull together the components of her designs.   Luck seems to play a great part in her designs- if she wants a particular piece, eventually she will find it!

Her new collection of upholstery pieces. entitled ‘Hide and Seek’ is a combination of traditional tapestry imagery mixed with a more sedate fabrics- so that you can change the look and feel of the piece at will and according to your mood: serious times call for the grey to be exposed, or if you are feeling more playful- you can show off the wild combinations of hunting scenes and flowers.

I love the brass lamps which are completely constructed with found pieces.  Suzie was once a jeweler so welding and metal construction are second nature to her.  Even the lampshade is lined with gold foil, creating a glittering effect even when the lamp is switched off.

More photos coming up soon…and, of course, a pic of my finished tapestry piece!!!