Home//Dwell/Mar-14/In This Issue
Dwell|Mar-14Bright InteriorsA theme we return to again and again is the home as laboratory—a place to experiment, to solve problems, and to explore possibilities. We all negotiate between space and possessions, no matter our circumstances. This issue is devoted to the idea of a residential testing ground, expressed by those who have chosen the pursuit of good design as a professional focus. Constraint is welcome in design, because clearly defined parameters yield innovative results. Take the case of an existing structure where, for one reason or another, knocking down walls or expanding the site’s footprint is not an option. The designer must find creative solutions that address the issue at hand. Consider Matali Crasset’s idiosyncratic approach to a centuries-old farmhouse in the French countryside on page 76. There, she executed a…2 min
Dwell|Mar-14To The TradeBDI BDI home theater furniture is engineered to amaze. Innovative features include integrated wire management, concealed speaker compartments, and flow-through ventilation. Hidden wheels and removable back panels allow for easy access to components, making for simple setup and maintenance. Whether looking for a solution for a large system or small, a soundbar speaker, or under a wall-mounted TV, there’s a BDI design for any application. From March 7-23, all BDI home theater cabinets are on sale. TO THE TRADE 800-428-2881 bdiusa.com U-LINE For over five decades, and through three generations, U-Line continues to be the American leader in innovation, quality and performance in the premium built-in under counter ice making, refrigeration and wine preservation market. Delivering versatility and flexibility for multiple applications including residential, light commercial, outdoor and marine use,…2 min
Dwell|Mar-14The Point Is MuteWe live in a supercharged, electrified, and social-media-documented world. One response is to embrace the neon; another, to select a more restrained color theme. Cue desaturated pastels for the wall, floor, ceiling, or seat. A Frame light in Mint by Iacoli and McAllister, $395–$495 A powder-coated steel frame gives these spare pendant lights shape via negative space. Available in three sizes and six colors. mattermatters.com B Marbelous Wood by Snedker Studio, price upon request Danish designer Pernille Snedker Hansen’s custom installations involve treating local Nordic wood with a marbling effect in toned-down hues. snedkerstudio.dk Cubes Rug by Paul Smith for The Rug Company, $7,236 for six-by-nine feet Smith looked to stained glass windows for this abstract take on the ancient art. He also used a special looping method to create…2 min
Dwell|Mar-14Make It GrainFor an architect’s family getaway in Connecticut, the kitchen is no shrinking violet. PROJECT Schaffer Residence ARCHITECT Salles Schaffer Architecture, sallesschafferarchitecture.com LOCATION Guilford, Connecticut When New York City architect Julie Salles Schaffer started designing a house in Connecticut for her family—her husband, Robert, and their two teenage daughters—she planned it around a central hub: the kitchen. “It’s pretty unusual for the way you design a house,” Schaffer explains, “since most kitchens are tucked in the back. But I’m the one who does the cooking, and I wanted that room to be the knuckle of the layout.” Reinforcing the notion of the kitchen as a focal point is its unusual aesthetic—arctic white accented by exposed wood grain and rounded details. Blurring the lines between natural and artificial, Schaffer had the cabinets…2 min
Dwell|Mar-14Fine CampagneCerebral architect Matali Crasset turns a stone farmhouse into a flexible, open environment for a Parisian jewelry designer and her many houseguests. PROJECT Monory Farmhouse ARCHITECT Matali Crasset LOCATION Chinon, France Michèle Monory’s Chinon farmhouse (left) is an idyllic getaway from her home base in Paris. After she inherited the property and centuries-old structure from her father, she hired Matali Crasset, who runs a cutting-edge architecture and design frm, to update the living spaces. In the farmhouse’s colordrenched living room, ottomans by Matali Crasset for Domodinamica—originally designed for a hotel in Nice, France—are mixed with a white Pipistrello floor lamp by Gae Aulenti for Martinelli. The red table is a vintage find. The main living area functions as an easygoing lounge, ideal for entertaining, with a vintage billiards table and…4 min
Dwell|Mar-14Brutal BeautyPROJECT Vandemoortele Residence ARCHITECTS Johan Raman and Fritz Schaffrath INTERIOR DESIGNER Renaud de Poorter location Ghent, Belgium Brutalist buildings aren’t everybody’s design ideal, but when Nathalie Vandemoortele first saw the fortresslike house she now shares with her sons, Merlin, 14, and Cesar, 12, it was love at first sight. “I saw a real estate ad with a photo showing the view from the beautiful lake, with a sequence of ponds leading to this amazing building with round towers like a castle,” she recalls. “I couldn’t sleep until it was mine.” The owners of the imposing concrete structure—built in 1972 by architects Johan Raman and Fritz Schaff rath, in the countryside near Ghent, Belgium—were holidaying in Cuba, but she insisted her agent contact them. One week after she first saw the…6 min
Dwell|Mar-14FeedbackThe Small Spaces, Big Ideas issue was full of engaging, interesting stories. I was especially charmed by Irene Sævik’s summer cabin in Norway (“Compact Cabin,” November 2013). She opens up the space by separating the different quarters of the house into individual sections, connected by decks. I imagine that to walk barefoot across Sævik’s “outdoor galleries” is a refreshing experience on early mornings or breezy afternoons. I do wonder, however, about the quality of residence at the cabin under less ideal and extreme weather conditions. How do heavy rains and snowstorms affect the functionality and comfort level of the floor plan? Inviting nature into the house is a significant move away from today’s technology-based, indoor lifestyle—something we should all think about in the face of many global environmental problems. But…5 min
Dwell|Mar-14Walking in MemphisItalian designer and founder of the Memphis movement, Ettore Sottsass is widely known for his expressive furniture and futuristic, sometimes goofy visions of everyday objects. On paper, Sottsass’s aesthetic is equally vanguard, as seen in his 1971 gouache-and-ink drawing Preliminary Project for Microenvironment, Element for Landscape Home (above). Recently acquired by the Museum of Modern Art, the sketch is emblematic of a design movement still holding sway over the furniture and interiors of today. For the last several years, designers have been toying with a distinctly un-minimalist vision of product design. Referencing the postmodern movement of the 1980s, they incorporate mixed geometries, primary colors, and pastiche material treatments. The work of Italian designer Ettore Sottsass is experiencing something of a renaissance, so an auction of his personal archive is well-timed.…2 min
Dwell|Mar-14Stone FoxesWhether it’s the real deal or merely a facsimile, marble is both cuttingedge and classic. Here are seven pieces straight from the quarry, from small tabletop pieces to statementmaking furniture. A Quarry lamps by Benjamin Hubert for De La Espada, $1,735–$2,395 Hubert cut the bell-shaped shades of his marble pendant lights with extremely thin walls to create a diffuse, translucent light. delaespada.com B Chunk candleholder by Andreas Engesvik for Menu, $60 Gray-and-white veining is just as effective in small doses, like a copper-topped candleholder for the tabletop. shophorne.com C Dibbern Carrara collection by Bodo Sperlein, $30–$80 A Carrara motif is applied to fine bone china for this delicate take on the trend. bodosperlein.com D Apollo lamp by Dan Yeffet and Lucie Koldova for La Chance, $3,250 The lunaresque floor lamp…1 min
Dwell|Mar-14Simpler TimesA Stone Dial by Denis Guidone for Nava Milano, $242 You can mix and match three earth-toned straps with this pebble-shapedwatch. The setisavailableineither a black or white dial. navadesign.com B MUWNeck and Pocket Watch by Kasper and Rikke Salto for Rosendahl Timepieces, $330 This unisex creation by a Danish usbandand-wife duo has rounded edges and a nylon strap in placeofa chain, allowing it to be won comfortably around the neck. ameico.com C 104 Series by Uniform Wares, $272 An updated version of the London brand’s entry-level timepiece, the watch features Swiss movements and an ultra-smooth, malleable rubber strap in new bold colors. uniformwares.com “A watch is a personal thing that should reflect the personality of the wearer. I could not find one to match my approach to design—minimal and material-led—so…1 min
Dwell|Mar-14designer Elina Vila D’Acosta-Calheiros location Barcelona, SpainA Nouveau Approach It was love at first sight for Elina Vila D’Acosta-Calheiros and her husband, Ginés Gorriz: When they stepped into the century-old apartment thatwould become their home, they were so smitten they bought it on the spot. The 2,583-square-foot unit, located in the upmarket L’Eixample area of Barcelona, sported original Art Nouveau details: richly ornamented plasterwork, floor-toceiling windows with wooden shutters and brass hinges, and porcelain handles on the doors. A long hallway, lit on three sides by colorful stained-glass windows, connected the rooms at the front of the apartment with the library and the adjoining conservatory at the rear. Gray, brown, and white tiles, arranged to form de icate flower patterns, covered the floors in every room. “That’s really very unusual,” says Vila D’Acosta-Calheiros. “In old Catalan…4 min
Dwell|Mar-14Family FunctionA pair of Toronto boutique owners and their architects surpass expectations for above-the-shop living with a renovation that celebrates clean design and serene space. The design boutique Mjölk is an unlikely oasis. On a busy road lined with work-worn brick buildings in Toronto’s Junction neighborhood, the shop is a tailored space full of artful Scandinavian and Japanese design: ceramics by Masanobu Ando alongside George Nakashima originals. Its young owners, Juli Daoust and John Baker, built the collection through visits with the makers, selecting cups from kilns in Finland or handmade cutting boards from studios in Tokyo. They’ve shaped their home with equal care and craft: Above the shop is a two-level, 2,450-square-foot apartment that brings home everything they’ve learned in their work and travels. “There isn’t a lot of separation…4 min
Dwell|Mar-14MODERN MARKETThe product-packed Modern Market section of Dwell just got even better with a fresh look and an innovative crop of new modern designs. In this highly shoppable section, you are guaranteed to discover that one unique item or special gift that makes you feel at home in the modern world! For more products and services, visit us online at dwell.com! modernmarket.com Teak Warehouse Teak Warehouse is the country’s largest manufacturer and supplier of high-end outdoor furniture. We are open to the public offering A-Grade teak, Batyline® mesh, 316 marine grade stainless steel, Viro® outdoor wicker, and raw concrete. Create an outdoor dining set that reflects your personal style. Blend 316 marine grade stainless steel, Batyline® mesh, and A-Grade teak to create a stunning dining set. Shown here is the 64"…10 min
Dwell|Mar-14Welcome, MatteBy eschewing high gloss for a matte finish, these pieces tout a quiet subtlety. Lest you think them too Plain Jane, consider matte’s powdery velvet texture—a tactile bonus for a low-prof le look. A Matte Black Oslo cutlery set by Canvas, $80 A sooty finish for stainless-steel flatware made in Portugal elevates everyday utensils. canvashomestore.com B Cobra wall lamp by Greta Grossman for Gubi, $440 Sweden-by-way-of-California designer Greta Magnusson Grossman’s iconic lighting is now available in a compact sconce version. shophorne.com C Lenny portable speaker by Pierre Favresse for Habitat and Jean-Yves Le Porcher for Elipson, $400 Make beautiful music with this Bluetoothenabled collaboration between the British home goods retailer and the French hi-fimanufacturer. elipson.com D Graft sideboard by Derek Welsh Studio, $3,720 Welsh’s understated, livable Graft collection includes this…1 min
Dwell|Mar-14Local NativesNew York’s Brooklyn borough is home to more than 2.5 million people, including a dedicated enclave of designers and makers. Here, we highlight two remarkably different studios, one nascent and one established. Weaver and textile artist Hiroko Takeda (left) keeps a studio on the ninth floor of an old industrial building in downtown Brooklyn, where she works on various client commissions and her own one-off art projects. Recent Parsons School of Design graduates Shaun Kasperbauer, Isaac Friedman-Heiman, and Luft Tanaka (below, from left) are the founding members of the design collective Souda (a Japanese word pronounced “SOH-duh”). Souda We all feel responsibility to each other. We know that if we’re going to be doing this a year from now, we need to work hard.” —Shaun Kasperbauer, Souda In June 2012,…4 min
Dwell|Mar-14Dwell on DesignComing to Los Angeles June 20 to 22, America’s largest design event elevates our appreciation of all things modern. At its new home in the grand South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center, Dwell on Design 2014 will welcome visitors from around the world to convene for a weekend filled with top exhibitors, innovative programming, and renowned speakers. On three stages for three full days, Dwell hosts lectures, educational opportunities, panels, awards shows, keynotes, and demonstrations, providing a showplace and platform for inspiring discourse surrounding all aspects of the design world. Striving to bring passion and excellence together in one place, Dwell on Design is an epicenter for positive momentum in modern architecture and design. Dwell Design Week For one week each June, ahead of and concurrent with Dwell…3 min
Dwell|Mar-14Top GradesFor design mavericks Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan, a challenging site that slopes toward the sea yields a unique opportunity to create an intimate and relaxing hideaway. PROJECT Adler-Doonan Residence ARCHITECT Gray Organschi Architecture LOCATION Shelter Island, New York Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan collaborated with New Haven, Connecticut, firm Gray Organschi on their midcentury-inspired New York vacation home (left). The site-sensitive exterior belies an interior festooned with a kaleidoscopic mix of colors and an array of tactile materials (right). The Peter rug, Malibu sofa, and ceramics are Adler’s own designs. The tables, pendant lights, and rocker are vintage. Adler and Doonan used scaffolding from the house’s construction to build the bookshelf. If personality transforms a house into a home, then the recently constructed beachside residence of interior-design maven and…5 min