Chateau Dreams

There is a thrill nearly every designer gets when finding that diamond in the rough waiting to be turned into a polished gem. It’s seeing the possibilities and the largely blank canvas upon which you will paint your fantasies and make your dream a reality.  Pierre Yovanovitch stumbled across a crumbling 17th century chateau near Marseilles and was seduced.

ch__teau_pierre_yovanovitch_Chateau_ChicI have long admired the work of Paris-based designer Pierre Yovanovitch and his most recent layout in Elle Décor does not disappoint.

ch__teau_pierre_yovanovitch_Chateau_Chic-1Yovanovitch spent three years restoring his chateau in Provence and the results are why this largely self-taught designer has shot to the top of the French design world in a little more than a decade.

Chateau_Chic_2Yovanovitch deftly juxtaposes classic French architectural references with clean modern aesthetics and rarified 20th century furnishings and lighting.

ch__teau_pierre_yovanovitch_livingroomElle Décor – Livingroom “The sublime 17th century gypsum fireplace mantel with a Robsjohn-Gibbings biomorphic coffee table and custom sofas.

ch__teau_pierre_yovanovitch_diningroomElle Décor– DiningRoom – “Austere and monastic in the most sophisticated manner possible.”

ch__teau_pierre_yovanovitch_bedroomElle Décor – Master Bedroom – “Modern, refined country style”

Chateau-Chic-3Timeless, classic, ethereal.

Chateau_Chic_4photos via Elle Décor

 
 

Brute Force

Brutalism was a term given to a particularly raw and rough design genre which emerged from Post-World War II Europe.  It was most likely given that name due to the torched, twisted, torn and crimped materials, mostly metals, that designers willed into submission.  Such designers as Paul Evans, Silas Seandel, Tom Greene, and Curtis Jere were among the high practioners of this artform.  Today, many of these pieces, many by Evans in particular, are commanding stratospheric prices as new collectors discover the strange and abstract beauty of these pieces.

Paul Evans produced a line of pieces for Directional Furniture in the 1960’s.  Here are some examples from his Argente and Cityscape series.

Paul-evans

Silas Seandel is also an American trained sculpture producing both large scale metal installations such as the one he did recently for the World Trade Center Memorial, but is probably best known for bringing traditional sculpting techniques to furniture.

Silas

Tom Greene designed lighting for the Feldman Lighting Co. of Los Angeles.  Feldman was a prominent lighting company from the 1940’s through the 1970’s.  Greene was known for his fantastic torch cut chandeliers.

Tom-Green

Curtis Jere is actually the nom de plume of artists Jerry Fels and Curtis Freiler.  Together they produced metalworks for their company Artisan House.  Although still in business today, it is the pieces from the 1960’s to the early 1970’s that have collectors clamoring. Below: Starburst Wall Decoration – a highly collected piece by Jere / Raindrop Mirror – probably one of the most sought after designs from Curtis Jere / Abstract wall decoration

CURTIS-Jere

 

 

 
 

Jacques Jarrige

I’m not exactly sure what it is about the French that causes them to possess such a natural sense of style but I find myself continually drawn to much of their work.  Such is the case with the furniture of Jacques Jarrige.  I’m calling it furniture, but, of course, it is art in every respect.  Working in metals, glass, and even humble MDF, Monsiuer Jarrige, bends them all to his fantasy.  His work has a lyrical and even whimsical quality, but the effect of his pieces, seen below in the apartment decorated for the  Evelyn Lauder Holiday House, carries serious chic.

Lauder_foyerPhoto of Evelyn Lauder Entry Foyer

fireplace-with-Jacques-Jarrige-sculpturePhoto of Freeform Sculpture above fireplace

Fiori Chandelier

Fiori Chandelier

 

Iconic Floor LampIconic Floor Lamp

Jacques Jarrige armchairs

Pair of Armchairs

Cloud Coffee TableCloud Coffee Table in white

Bronze Lamps

Pair of Bronze Lamps

Sculpture Screen

Sculpture Screen

Coffee Table

Torquemada Dining Table

Sconses

Pair of Wall Sconces

Biomorphic coffee table

Biomorphic coffee table

No wonder I’m an insomniac.  I’m too busy dreaming about  all the beautiful things in my fantasy livingroom.

 
 

1 63 64 65 66 67 72