Maybe Grandma was on to something pairing that old club
chair with the faded Persian rug she’s had since the last war. Maybe a modern
interior does not have to look like the inside of Karim Rashid’s brain after
all. Maybe the classics just need a little freshening up for the new year.
In the spirit of making a something old into a something
new, FREAKS free architects gave this Parisian apartment a face-lift by cutting
directly through wainscoting and moldings to create contemporary spaces while
conserving the Napoleon era decorative elements. It goes to show, there is no
need to overdo lipo and implants, less renovation is more renovation.
Have
you ever wanted to draw mustaches on the dusty portraits in your grandfather’s
study? Fornasetti has, and has given many a countess a youthful comeback on a
plate or side table.
Inspired by the decorative frieze lining the ceiling of his
Amsterdam apartment, Marcel Wanders conceived the ‘Skygarden’ pendant light so
everyone could take a piece of it home with them.
As the decorative molding is only situated inside the light
with the outer shell left simple and modern, the light creates a charming
surprise when guests sit down at a table it is hung over.
The current master of classic style with a twist is definitely
Spanish designer Jaime Hayon.
Taking inspiration from a mixture of Louis, Georges, Charles
and Victoria, the man who singlehandedly brought the knickknack back cleverly
uses gilding, tufting and hand painting alongside more contemporary finishing
techniques to bring to life a quirky collection of furnishings for the
modern-day Marie-Antoinette.
by Claire Toussaint