inspired interiors

Syrie Maugham

arianeinteriors — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 19:35:42 +0000

Syie Maugham, was a leading british decorator of the 1920′s and 30′s, know for designing the first all white room (which is more disco era than it’s date of 1932). She established her own interior decorating business, Syrie LTD., at 85 Baker Street, London in 1922. Born during the Victorian era, know for it dark claustrophobic interiors, Syrie rejected this style for a lighter aesthetic. This included light filled rooms, white furnishing and upholstery and mirrored screens to bring in even more light. She achieved her white interiors with the use of rich materials and textures including shell, fur, white leather and suede, satin, velvet and plaster. She would strip and re-paint precious antiques to match her palette. By 1934 the all white room had gone out of fashion to be revamped in the 1970′s.

Above: The all white Room (1932); photo for Vogue magazine shot in Syrie’s white room; Mirrored breakfront, by Syrie Maugham; All white bedroom, with signature fabric; Syrie lamp with mirrored hexagon base (1935).

Hidden Gems

arianeinteriors — Sun, 09 May 2010 19:38:15 +0000

I was recently in Sarasota, Florida and here are a few unusual Sarasota School of Architecture buildings I took a look at, by Paul Rudolph, Ralph Twitchell, etc.

Tim Seibert’s Cooney house on St. Armand’s Key

Paul Rudolph’s, 1949 Burnette beach house

Ralph Twitchell’s 1940, Lu Andrews bayou residence

Ralph Twitchell’s 1941 Glorieux residence

Marimekko!!!

arianeinteriors — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 03:45:15 +0000

Since 1951, Marimekko has been selling modern textiles and housewares. Designers such as MAIJA and KRISTINA ISOLA and KLAUS HAAPANIEMI have been collaborating on bold, fresh and timeless designs and products. Below are some of the Spring/Summer 2010 offerings. Just image that lovely pink and black floral by Maija Isola, as glam new upholstery on that vintage danish chair you found at a yard sale! $43 a yard.

Victor Lundy’s Soaring Rooflines

arianeinteriors — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:52:37 +0000

Why were so many great architects practicing in Sarasota, Florida after WWII? Yes, they were drawn to the sunny climate and natural landscape. They were inspired by Frank LLoyd Wright who had just completed his Florida Southern College buildings, and some, including Paul Rudolph had come to work for architect Paul Twitchell, who did work for John Ringling. I must say, that although Paul Rudolph is my favorite architect, I am also really drawn to the works of the lesser known Victor Lundy. Born in Manhattan, and one of Rudolph’s fellow students at Harvard, Victor Lundy did his first comission in Florida in 1951. From designing a pneumatic structure for The 1966 New York World’s Fair, a drive-in church pavilion that was featured in Life magazine, to the vacation house he designed for his family in Aspen, Colorado, awe inspiring churches in Connecticut and Harlem, and the IBM headquarters in Cranford, NJ, the work he did in Florida is just a small part of his amazing career. Many of Lundy’s works incorporate graceful curves and soaring rooflines. Laminated wood beams sweep upward, ceilings curve toward the sky and pavilions mushroom from the earth. Where Paul Rudolph was all about straight lines and flat planes, Lundy used arcs and textured panels. More to come…

1966 NY World’s Fair Air Pavilion

Sarasota, Florida Chamber of Commerce, 1956

IBM building, Cranford, NJ & Galloways Furniture Showroom, 1959, Sarasota, Florida

Drive-In Church, Nokomis, Florida, 1954

Warm Mineral Hot Springs Motel, Venice, Florida

Sarasota, Florida Post Office

Lundy Rooflines

Lutheran Church, Sarasota, Florida

Church of the Resurrection, Harlem, NY, 1966 (demolished)

Paul Rudolph

arianeinteriors — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:59:04 +0000

Paul Rudolph is undeniably one of my favorite architects, and one of the most unrecognized Modernists. I first became aware of Rudolph’s work while visiting Sarasota, Florida. There are numerous examples of his work built between 1948-1960, still standing in Florida, although some of his important projects have been torn down.

Educated at Alabama Polytechnic Institute and Harvard Graduate school under the chairmanship of Walter Gropius, Rudolph incorporate many of his modernist lessons into his design but took things a little further. His time spent working as a naval architect at the Brooklyn Navy Yard introduced him to many new materials and technologies. His Florida work was a reaction to the regional climate and the natural surroundings. Pre-air conditioning, Rudolph used material and technology and clever design in a way that architects today could still learn from.

In his work he incorporated many mechanisms of climate control, including ventilated concrete walls, internal patios, large overhangs, breezways and pavillions, wooden shutters, sunshades, sliding screen panels, recessed and louvered windows, and site plans that allowed breezes and shade. His use of innovative and local materials, included steel reinforced masonry, which resisted termites, moisture, heat and hurricanes, local cypress beams, Ocala block, and shell concrete and terrazzo.

While some of Rudolph’s work is being celebrated, such as the rededicating of the Yale Art & Architecture building, much of his work is in danger. His Riverview High School in Sarasota, Florida was recently demolished, and an elementary school in Middletown, NY is in danger of being torn down. To read more about saving this school go to The Paul Rudolph Foundation website: www.paulrudolph.org. Or to sign the petition to save click here.

Below are some favorite examples of Rudolph’s work.

Lamolithic Houses, 1949

Lamolithic Houses interior courtyard, 1949

Lamolithic Houses, 1949

New York Townhouse, & elevation drawing with originally planned additional stories (Lib of Cong)

Yale Art & Architecture Building

Sarasota High School, 1959-60

Umbrella Restored

arianeinteriors — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 05:29:53 +0000

The owners of the Umbrella House in the Lido Shores neighborhood of Sarasota, Florida are restoring the umbrella sunshade that was blown away in a storm. Designed by architect Paul Rudolph in 1953, the original design included a sheltering canopy, that provided filtered light and shade for the main body of the house and pool area. The restoration is being done in two phases to make the project more affordable. First the shading structure over the house will be built to reduce cooling bills. Phase two will extend the shade back over the pool deck. The original umbrella stood for 25 years until it was was lost in the 1970′s. This time, to make sure it withstands the Florida climate, while retaining it’s original appearance, the structure will be made of cypress clad aluminum, with 350 pound concrete footings and stainless-steel anchor posts. Once the umbrella is complete it will not only restore the integrity of the design, but it will also restore Paul Rudolph’s intended function.

Architectural Digest named Paul Rudolph’s Umbrella House “One of the five most remarkable houses of the mid twentieth century.”

Sarasota Architecture

arianeinteriors — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 05:28:44 +0000

Who knew Sarasota, Florida was such a hotbed of mid 20th century architecture? I was visiting over the holidays and made a point of seeing as many of the architecturally significant buildings as I could find. It seems every time I visit, more and more of them have been razed to make room for something new. Riverview High School and The Sarasota Yacht Club the most recent casualties. But I think the tides are changing. It might be the sluggish real estate market (people are not grabbing up land and flattening everything to make way for oversized mega-mansions), or it might be a nostalgic return to a simpler time when smaller and efficient was the rage. I saw for the first time that more and more of the buildings were being restored or being used in new ways.

Below are some stunning examples of works that were designed by some pretty sharp architects. They explored fresh ideas that at the time paved the way for people to live comfortably and stylishly in Florida’s semi-tropical climate.

Edward J. Seibert, Hiss Studio, Lido Shores, 1953

Paul Rudolph, Sarasota High School 1958-60, Riverview High School 1957-58

Paul Rudolph & Palph Twitchell, Lamolithic Houses, Siesta Key, 1948

Edward J. Seibert, Lido Shores, 1953

William Rupp, Lido Shores, 1957

Victor Lundy, Lutheran Church, 1958

Jack West, Nokomis Beach Pavillion, rebuilt 2009

Ralph Twitchell, Hudson House, Venice, Florida, 1953

Hyperbolic paraboloid beach pavillion, Venice, Florida, 1964

Magical Lighting!

arianeinteriors — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:05:40 +0000

Whimsical chandeliers, sconces, floor and table lamps from inspiring Hollywood set designer Tony Duquette. Imagine the California Sunburst chandelier in you modern pad, or the Splashing Water chandelier as the focal point of your dining room. They are available from Remains Lighting.

Clockwise: California Sunburst Chandelier, Splashing Water Chandelier, Magic Forest Floor Lamp, Splashing Water Table Lamp, California Sunburst Corona Chandelier.

Modernism at Risk

arianeinteriors — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:37:41 +0000

“Modernism at Risk: Modern Solutions for Saving Modern Landmarks,” an exhibition organized by the World Monuments Fund and sponsored by Knoll Inc., will travel to design schools and across the US beginning with the University of Florida’s College of Design, Construction and Planning.

The exhibition will also travel to New York City, where it will be on view at the American Institute of Architects New York Center for Architecture, 536 LaGardia Place, from Feb 17- May 1, 2010. To sign partitions to save some of these valuable buildings go to: vwww.savekent.com or www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-paul-rudolphs-john-chorley-elementary

Below is an example of a recently demolished modernist building designed by architect Paul Rudolph in Sarasota, Florida. Riverview High School, built in 1959, was an example of a style of architecture that took advantage of post-World War II technologies and utilized novel techniques such as moveable sunshades, overhangs, breezeways and “waterfall” roof runoff to combat the subtropical Florida climate.

Classic Design

arianeinteriors — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:17:25 +0000

Modern classics will never go out of style. You can find products by Herman Miller a manufacturer of modern furnishings since 1923, and other great home decor items for great prices at csnstores.com

Herman Miller ® – Eames ® Walnut Stool

Herman Miller ® – Nelson ™ Coconut Chair

Herman Miller ® – Nelson ™ Miniature Chests

Our FALL GIVEAWAY was sponsored by CSN Stores and one lucky reader was able to win this magical plate by Finnish designer Klaus Haapaniemi, for iitala.