Tag: mid century design

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Architecture Design Designers Interviews

Real home: Stylish mid-century inspired kitsch in Perth

Front of the home
The home has striking kerbside appeal

While stylishly kitsch could be considered an oxymoron, this Perth residence manages to tick both boxes. An ode to mid-century design, this residence is home to a family of five and features lots of fun details like a breakfast booth inspired by an American diner and a striking front elevation.

Front of the home
The home has unique kerbside appeal

“The home needed to have the spirit of a mid-century aesthetic to align with, but not mimic. The clients love the infamous Kaufmann House in Palm Springs and American diner styled breakfast booths,” says the home’s architect Marcus Browne of Mishack.

Living room
Living room

“As a typical busy family of two full-time working adults and three school children, there is a strong need to commune and connect. Their love of the American diner styled breakfast booth was incorporated to act as a natural hub for the family at the start of each day. Stories, plans, lunches and orders can be dispensed in the convenience of a round table scenario to stay in touch with each member’s daily events,” says Marcus.

Kitchen breakfast booth
The breakfast booth. The Slim Aarons print above is a not-so-subtle nod to the home’s inspiration.

Featuring a large open plan living area, flooded with natural daylight and seamlessly integrated with the outdoors, it’s a highly liveable home too. “A central passage acts as a simple access spine delineating and connecting private and communal spaces with easy transition. The northern orientation of the main indoor and outdoor living spaces allow them to flood with natural daylight as the day and seasons permit,” says Marcus of the home that boasts solar passive credentials too.

Hallway
The hallway divides the home into two clear zones – living and sleeping.

As for the front of the house, the owners wanted to make a statement befitting the classic American car that sits in the driveway. “The clients adamantly did not want the atypical double garage at the front of the house scenario. I like the folding roof forming the entry. Its dynamic and livens a bland streetscape challenging others to be more daring,” says Marcus.

Kitchen
Kitchen

The front of the house also features a design detail borrowed from the Kaufmann house. “A tip of the hat acknowledgement to the vertical steel screening of the Kaufmann house is given via the vertical steel screening at the front,” says Marcus.

Master bedroom
Master bedroom

The home is also future-proofed – it can be easily extended as the family matures. “Spatially, the layout needs to be able to adapt as the needs of this family change over time. In time, the parents will build over the rear carport to create their separate retreat and handover the main house to the growing brood,” says Marcus.

Ensuite
Ensuite

Photography: Dion Robeson

For more | Another (very different) American inspired home

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Designers Furniture

Danish design master Kai Kristiansen reprises iconic designs

The work of Kai Kristiansen, a master of the mid-century Danish design movement, has been resurrected in Australia by Great Dane Furniture founder Anton Assaad – the result of a cross-continental collaboration between the pair.

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Entré large six-drawer cabinet in oak, $5500 (oak) $7250 (walnut)

“I am a great admirer of Kai’s work, it’s very math-based and very exact. I really wanted to work with him because he has been such a huge influence on design and he’s a part of Danish history and culture,” says Anton of the Danish designer who was born in Denmark in 1929 before training in cabinetry and pursuing a lifelong career in architecture and design.

The partnership came about after Anton met Kai for a coffee in Copenhagen back in 2012, before they set about sourcing the best manufacturers to reproduce Kai’s iconic #42 chair. “We didn’t stop until we were both happy with the result and our expectation was perfection,” says Kai of the designs that are manufactured by a skilled team of cabinet makers in Denmark.

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Entré medium three-drawer cabinet in walnut, $3950 – we’re loving the gorgeous interior details!

The range, which was first exhibited in Denmark in 1960,  features three cabinets in varying sizes (with plans for more pieces to come) all produced in walnut and oak, with an emphasis on clean, simple lines – the cabinet handles have been created with the human hand in mind but are entirely seamless. “I decided to bring the Entré range back to life with Kai because I have always loved it: the quality and proportions are perfect and I feel that it is very resolved,” says Anton.

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Entré small two-drawer cabinet, $2750 (oak) $2950 (walnut)

“I chose the range for a number of reasons – I love the perfect proportions, sense of balance, considered design and timeless appeal. I feel the designs have a strong harmonious element which greatly reflects the pared back nature of Kai’s Scandinavian design values. The Entré range is beautifully subtle, understated and as charming as Kai himself,” says Anton.

kai-kristiansen
Kai Kristiansen

To celebrate the launch, the Danish designer made his first trip to Australia this week. “Danish design has great history in the city with the Sydney Opera House, so I am delighted to be here to showcase my Entré collection,” says Kai.

Shop the range online.

 

 

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Kitchens

How to: Create a mid-century inspired kitchen

With mid-century design still big news on the interiors scene it follows that the period is influencing our bathroom and kitchen schemes too. Whether you’re renovating a home (mid-century or otherwise) or keen to incorporate a mid-century inspired kitchen in a new space, we caught up with Melbourne’s Cantilever Interiors recently to discuss key design considerations.

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The finishes
Nothing says mid-century design like plywood and laminate – pair them with white for a timeless feel. “Materials such as plywood, which is synonymous with furniture by iconic mid-century designers Charles and Ray Eames, is a key feature of the design period. One of our recent designs, the K1, features laminate benchtops with plywood edges and our palette of finishes is generally quite faithful to mid-century design,” says company director Dean Wilde.

Cantilever Interiors_Custom Kitchen_The Boulevard_Photo credit Martina Gemmola, Styling Ruth Welsby_01-14

Ergonomics
Mid-century furniture is characterised by its attention to both form and function – ergonomic considerations were key to the design period. “Just like mid-century furniture, our kitchens are also designed with ergonomics in mind. Swing-out pantry systems, soft-close drawers and pull-out bin organisers are all examples of how the kitchens are designed for the comfort and ease of the home cook,” says Dean.

Styled spaces
Another mid-century design aspect that Dean favours is the open display box – a great place for you to play with an array of ever-changing vignettes and an opportunity for you to mix things up when things feel stale. “Mid-century design can be evoked in the way you dress a kitchen, so designing display areas like open shelves allows you to reference the era in different ways and it also means you can rotate the objects when you feel like a change of scene,” says Dean.

Cantilever Interiors_Custom Kitchen_The Boulevard_Photo credit Martina Gemmola, Styling Ruth Welsby_08-17

Open display boxes & ergonomic drawer handles

Modern layout
If you are renovating a mid-century home, your existing kitchen is probably closed off in the back corner – something that doesn’t suit most lifestyles today. “The kitchen is now a multi-purpose space for the whole family, so when planning a mid-century kitchen renovation, you may need to factor in some structural changes so it can integrate with open plan areas,” says Dean.

For more kitchen inspiration click here.

 

Categories
Interviews The Block

Neale Whitaker on The Block, Vogue Living and his inspirations

As a judge on The Block and the editor-in-chief of magazine Vogue Living, Neale Whitaker, unsurprisingly, has a wealth of interior design knowledge. Seen as one of Australia’s foremost style gurus, he is a man who shuns trends, disliking the lack of individuality they can impose.

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“As an editor, it’s my job to see trends at the broadest possible level, how everything interconnects,” explains Neale. “I rarely get enthused by specific colours or moods because those trends come and go so quickly. For me, the most interesting contradiction is the way in which design is increasingly dependent on technology and information-gathering, yet escapism and romanticism have never been so popular. Yin and yang for sure.”

Vogue Living's current July/August edition
Vogue Living’s current July/August edition

[contextly_sidebar id=”2puVQTN4IVNGzh4RIdYv6uYBzWFAT340″]Excited by so many things, for Neale inspiration doesn’t come solely from interiors, but rather from people, places and projects. So when asked the difficult question, to name his favourite products and designers of the moment, Neale’s answer was always going to be hugely diverse. “I’m intrigued by clever brand-builders. Ben Gorham is doing brilliant things at the Swedish fragrance brand Byredo; the Swedes are effortlessly cool in my book. The work of Italian interior architect and sculptor Vincenzo de Cotiis is awe-inspiring, as are the industrial lighting designs by New Yorkers Apparatus and Lindsey Adelman. Lee Broom is doing some really glamorous but interesting work in London. And mid-century Italian design will be the next era to have its place in the sun — I’m convinced of that.”

The work of Vincenzo de Cotiis, one of Neale's inspirations
The work of Vincenzo de Cotiis, one of Neale’s inspirations. Photo credit: decotiis
The work of
The work of Apparatus, another of Neale’s inspirations. Photo credit: Apparatus Studio

Previously at the helm of Belle magazine for eight years, Neale only took up his new post at Vogue Living late last year. “I feel incredibly privileged to be editing such an iconic magazine and excited by the opportunities we have across online, digital and social media. Vogue Living is truly a brand.”

Having been the boss of two of Australia’s biggest magazines, Neale is constantly surrounded by contrasting yet beautiful spaces, which has left him with a personal style that is hard to define. “What’s my style? That’s hard. The best answer I can give is unpredictable. In my role I have to appreciate and understand so many different styles. I’m often surprised by the things I find myself attracted to!”

The Block judges: Neale, Shaynna and Darren
The Block judges: Neale, Shaynna and Darren

However, it is all this experience and diversity of inspirations, likes and dislikes, that make Neale such an ideal judge for The Block, and is why, after five years, us viewers can’t get enough of him and why he himself keeps coming back. “I never get tired of seeing what each new group of contestants can achieve. It’s also a privilege to be involved with such an incredibly popular show. And after five years, The Block feels like my extended family — from the production team to the soundos and the cameramen. Not to mention my fellow judges. They’re a brilliant crew.”

With rumours already swirling about the next season of The Block — which went into production this May — I couldn’t resist asking Neale what’s in store. Though fair warning, his lips were fairly sealed! “You can expect blood, sweat, tears, laughter, drama — and some damn good renovations!”

Want to hear more from Neale? He will be talking about the who, what and where is currently inspiring him at this month’s Life Instyle, Melbourne. His talk will take place Friday 31 July from 10-to-11am. Tickets cost $100. For more information.