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    Moschino flagship store references the “history of ancient Italy”

    Italian studio Andrea Tognon Architecture has collaborated with former Moschino creative director Jeremy Scott to renovate the brand’s flagship store in Milan.

    Located on Via della Spiga, one of Milan’s famed shopping streets, the store sits within the 18th-century Palazzo Perusati, which was recently transformed by real estate company Hines into a luxury retail development.
    The store was designed by Andrea Tognon Architecture in collaboration with Scott who aimed to recreate and allude to the history of ancient Italy through a minimalist yet ornamental interior scheme.
    The Moschino Milan store was designed by Andrea Tognon and Jeremy Scott”I was inspired by the rich history of ancient Italy and the beauty and decadent opulence of its design,” said Scott.
    “Sometimes we start to design from memories, sometimes from form, materials and colours,” added Andrea Tognon Architecture founder Andrea Tognon.

    “For this project, I started only from words.”
    It is located within a recently renovated retail hubThe Milan flagship spans two floors and covers 380 square metres.
    Its ground floor is dedicated to the brand’s women’s ready-to-wear collections and accessories, while its first floor is dedicated to its men’s and kid’s collections.
    Oversized columns and capitals fill the storeThroughout the interior, Andrea Tognon Architecture used rich materials that speak to Moschino’s baroque flair, which was also highlighted through decorative and oversized architectural elements.
    A checkered floor constructed from Botticino marble and green stone, sourced from Brazil, covers the ground floor retail area while the above floors were clad in yellow Siena marble.

    Marni sets up caravan-shaped artist’s studio inside Milan flagship store

    A vast stone spiral staircase connects the two floors of retail space and forms a continuation of the oversized checkered floor – with the tread and rise of each step similarly clad in green stone and marble.
    Patinated brass lighting stretches rhythmically in horizontal rows across the ceiling of the store. Curving tubular display rails line the boundaries of the interior and were constructed in the same brass finish.
    Marble and stone cover the floorsPops of colour were introduced to the interior through bright yellow lacquered wood shelving that flank the walls of the store and follow its curving profile.
    Oversized columns and capitals were placed throughout the interior and function as furniture and display areas for the brand’s products and accessories.
    It was designed to reference the ancient history of ItalyAlso scattered throughout the store are additional custom furniture pieces that were created by Scott in homage to Moschino’s founder Franco Moschino.
    These tables combine two tables which were spliced in the middle, joined together and decorated with marble tops and gold leaf ornamentation.
    Pops of colours were incorporated throughout the storeLast week news broke that Jeremy Scott was leaving Moschino after a decade-long tenure at the Milanese fashion house. In 2020, Scott replaced models at his Spring Summer 2021 show with puppets that wore the brand’s womenswear collection.
    Elsewhere in Milan, London design studios Brinkworth and The Wilson Brothers created a caravan-shaped artist studio for Marni’s flagship store in the Italian city.
    The photography is by Adriano Mura.

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    Linehouse creates tactile restaurant with “Mediterranean soul” in Shanghai

    Design studio Linehouse has used natural, tactile materials for the interiors of the Coast restaurant in Shanghai for China’s casual dining brand Gaga.

    The restaurant is set inside a traditional mid-century Shikumen house – a blend of Western and Chinese architecture – with a renovated interior informed by its Mediterranean menu.
    “We aimed to create a deep connection with coastal elements and Mediterranean soul,” said Linehouse co-founder Alex Mok.
    Linehouse has completed the Coast restaurant in ShanghaiAccording to the studio, the restaurant’s aesthetic is one of “refined rusticity” – a contemporary reframing of rough-hewn vernacular styles, that creates a laid-back and tranquil atmosphere.
    Throughout the scheme, Linehouse was informed by the idea of coastal terrain, including earthy and fired elements.

    Linehouse chose a natural material palette, which in turn informed the colour scheme that flows throughout the interior of the three-storey restaurant.
    Green-glazed lava stone surrounds the ground-floor cafe and barThe aim was to take the visitor on a “vertical journey” by giving each of the three floors its own unique identity.
    “The colours and materials shift on each floor, telling a different part of the story,” Mok said.
    The bar is finished in the same tilesOn the ground floor, where a daytime cafe transitions into an evening bar, green and earthy tones link to the leafy garden beyond. Walls are wrapped in a green-glazed lava stone, with a deliberately hand-made patina, “representing the earth element”.
    Custom furniture pieces designed by Linehouse were used throughout the restaurant, while lighting was chosen for its intriguing, sculptural forms from designers including Santa & Cole and Studio KAE.
    Natural timbers were used for the centrepiece bar counter, while the timber-framed windows open up to the silver-grey of the olive trees outside.
    An open-hearth grill features on the first floorAbove this on the first floor is an intimate dining space lined with white-washed stone and timber panelling. Layered oak panels hung horizontally from the ceiling create intimate dining nooks, with taupe-toned banquette sofas and oak dining tables.
    The focal point of this room is the parrilla – an open-hearth grill – and a chef’s table.
    “The concept of the open parrilla grill captures the quintessence of Mediterranean cuisine,” Mok told Dezeen.

    Linehouse designs space-themed cafe in Shanghai for creator of “Australia’s most Instagrammed dessert”

    On this level, fire-informed red and brown tones punctuate the space including the tiles that line the kitchen, which were repurposed from used coffee grounds.
    Finally, on the top floor under the exposed timber beams of the pitched roof, Linehouse created a string-wrapped wine room and a lofty private dining space.
    Panels of string line the staircase structureThe walls were again clad in white-washed stone. But here, it is contrasted with the intense black of yakisugi, or fire-preserved wood, which serves as a backdrop to a chef’s table.
    The space also features a generously-sized balcony, providing views out across this bustling neighbourhood.
    Linehouse created a string-wrapped wine room on the top floorThe spaces are linked by a staircase that weaves up through the centre of the building. Its chalky-white outer walls are patterned with a sculptural relief of sea creature exoskeletons, echoed by collections of shells displayed in glass jars nearby.
    Panels of string, woven into simple grids, line the staircase structure, allowing natural light to flow into the heart of the building.
    “We chose materials that tell the story of the coastal journey, while the exoskeleton wall is a modern representation of the sea,” said Mok.
    The top floor also houses a private dining roomLinehouse was founded by Mok and Briar Hickling in 2013 and the duo went on to win emerging interior designer of the year at the 2019 Dezeen Awards.
    The studio has completed a number of other projects in Shanghai, including a space-themed cafe decorated with real meteorites and an office housed in a former swimming pool.
    The photography is by Wen Studio, courtesy of Linehouse.

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    Lovers Unite wraps Bar Chelou in Pasadena with expressive drapery

    Late artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude influenced the dramatic drapery around this restaurant in Pasadena, California, designed by Los Angeles studio Lovers Unite.

    Conceived by chef-owner Douglas Rankin as a take on a Parisian bistro, Bar Chelou opened earlier this year in a building in a Spanish Colonial Revival plaza next to the Pasadena Playhouse.
    Natural muslin is draped around Bar Chelou, emulating the works of Christo and Jeanne-ClaudeLovers Unite had just a few weeks to transform the space into an operational dining room, so looked to ways it could make maximum impact with minimal time.
    The studio found inspiration in the legacy of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who famously wrapped some of the world’s most recognisable monuments in giant swaths of fabric – most recently the Arc du Triomphe in Paris, which was realised a year after Christo’s death.
    The duo’s seemingly effortless but meticulously planned drapery is echoed on a much smaller scale around the Bar Chelou space, which was formerly a Baroque-themed restaurant called Saso.

    The restaurant in Pasadena features copper-topped tables that reflect light from an amber glass chandelier”We felt the spirit of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s work was a good conceptual fit for a project, which is supposed to evolve over time, but we’re able to be referential while being playful with our approach,” Lovers Unite told Dezeen.
    “Translating the gesture of the wrap to a human scale and a hospitality context changes the meaning and impact of the gesture — it’s not necessarily an artwork but it’s evocative and surprising.”
    Patrons enter via an arched doorway, and are immediately met with the sight of natural muslin fabric hung around the walls and above the bar.
    Curtains surround the dining room and offer glimpses of the kitchen in places”Upon entering, one might feel as if they are visiting an expansive and uncluttered artist’s studio in a transitory state; hints abound that change is coming,” said the Bar Chelou team.
    Lifts and pleats in the curtains created by thick ropes reveal the chefs at work in the kitchen, as well as framing views of the arched windows seen in mirrored panels.

    Great White Melrose in LA offers outdoor dining on a pink-plaster patio

    A dark shade of green was chosen to contrast the natural muslin and is used across the dining room floor and built-in leather banquettes.
    Similarly coloured tiles clad the front of the walnut-topped bar counter at the front, which is slightly lower that the main dining area and offers additional seating.
    A dark shade of green chosen to contrast the fabric covers the front of the bar counterThonet-style bistro chairs accompany polished copper cafe tables, which reflect the light from a custom, amber glass chandelier that spans the length of the room.
    Walls were painted to match the hue of the curtain fabric, and the window frames are bright green.
    Light pours into the bar area through arched windows with frames painted bright greenPasadena located is northeast of Los Angeles, where many new restaurants with notable interiors have opened over the past few months.
    Among them are the retro-futurist 19 Town designed by Jialun Xiong, and Great White Melrose, which offers outdoor dining on a pink-plaster patio.
    The photography is by Chris Mottalini.

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    Eight inspirational bathrooms with tranquil sunken baths

    For our latest lookbook, we’ve collected eight bathrooms with decorative sunken baths that create a relaxing atmosphere.

    Sunken baths are bathtubs that have been sunk into the bathroom floor, decks or patios. They can help to save space in the bathroom and to create a luxurious spa-like feeling.
    In this lookbook, we’ve gathered inspirational sunken bathtubs in homes from South Korea to Ukraine, including a peaceful sunken bath on a wood patio and a bath clad in green tiles.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring offbeat bakeries, minimalist Tokyo apartments and interiors with natural materials and timeless accents.
    Photo by Rohan VennSydney extension, Australia, by Emily Sandstrom

    Architect Emily Sandstrom’s extension to a 1930s bungalow in Sydney includes a bathtub that was sunk below floor level.
    Clad in small black and grey tiles, the bath was informed by Japanese bathing rituals and also has timber decking that covers the drainage points for an overhead shower. Glass sliding doors provide restful garden views.
    Find out more about the Sydney extension ›
    Photo by Casey DunnThe Preston Hollow, US, by Specht Architects
    The Preston Hollow was designed to reference brutalist architecture and its clean concrete lines are visible in the interior, too, including in the minimalist bathroom.
    Here, a sunken bathtub blends into the wood floor. Marble details and a sculptural chair add decorative, organic touches to the spartan space.
    Find out more about The Preston Hollow ›
    Photo by Rob MaverBruny Island Cabin, Australia, by Maguire + Devin
    This wood-lined off-grid cabin in Tasmania comes with two decks to let the owner enjoy both the sunset and the sunrise. The western deck, which provides views of the sunset, has a cosy, sunken outdoor bathtub.
    The tub can be hidden under removable decking panels when it is not in use.
    Find out more about Bruny Island Cabin ›
    Photo by Texture on TextureNuwa guesthouse, South Korea, by Z_Lab
    This tiny guesthouse (above and main image) in Seoul, South Korea, is located in a small alley in the city’s Seochon neighbourhood. Inside, the serene living spaces are finished in neutral colours.
    The living space features a long walnut table with a rough stone base. Next to it sits a sunken bath in which guests can wash their feet.
    Find out more about Nuwa guesthouse ›
    Photo by José HeviaPalma hideaway, Spain, by Mariana de Delás
    In the all-white bathroom of this Spanish apartment, the floor has been raised in order to accommodate a sunken bath that was lined with green tiles also used elsewhere in the project.
    A white marble sink and a couple of green plants add decorative details.
    Find out more about Palma hideaway ›
    Photo by Andrey AvdeenkoFamily apartment, Ukraine, by Sergey Makhno
    Japanese influences were blended with Ukrainian design in this family flat in Kyiv, Ukraine.
    A bathroom with a sunken bath and garden views is divided from the main bedroom by a gridded Crittall-style glass wall. A small bonsai tree on the floor and a stone sink create a natural feel in the bathroom.
    Find out more about the family apartment ›

    Sydney cottage, Australia, by Panovscott
    The bathroom inside this Australian cottage extension has four alcoves in different sizes and walls and floors made from compressed cement.
    A sunken bath made from a single piece of concrete is merged into the floor.
    Find out more about the Sydney cottage ›
    Photography by Radu PalicicaSunken Bath, UK, by Studio 304
    This glazed bathroom, called Sunken Bath, was added to a Victorian terraced house in east London by local designers Studio 304.
    The bathing area is enclosed by glass walls and a glass roof and features a sunken bath designed to follow the Japanese ritual of bathing.
    Find out more about the Sunken Bath ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring offbeat bakeries, minimalist Tokyo apartments and interiors with natural materials and timeless accents.

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    KKDW Studios creates offices for Yoga With Adriene founder in Austin

    Austin-based KKDW Studios has designed the headquarters for a yoga subscription app called Find What Feels Good, including a space for filming instructional videos.

    KKDW Studios founder Kelly DeWitt collaborated with yoga teacher Adriene Mishler – who became well-known through her Yoga With Adriene instructional videos – to create a base for Find What Feels Good, the platform she co-founded that offers video tutorials for at-home workouts.
    KKDW Studios used a modular system to build offices within the space for Find What Feels GoodLocated in East Austin, the 5,000-square-foot (465-square-metre) space was previously an empty shell with blue walls and a high-gloss, yellow-tinged concrete floor.
    DeWitt’s team described an intention to create “a space to evolve in and experiment with, a place to be inspired and inspired others.”
    Communal workstations are positioned in front of private offices”The space should feel welcoming with a warm, homey ambiance that makes you want to take a deep exhale,” the team added.

    To add this warmth, the majority of the interventions were made with wood, which forms wall panelling, louvred partitions, frames for glass walls, and furniture. The concrete floors were refinished in matte grey.
    A bright kitchen includes an island mounted on castors, which can be moved when neededDesigned for a quickly growing team and to be multi-functional, all the elements of the interiors are either bolted together or mounted on wheels, so they can be easily moved if needed.
    The linear space is divided up along its fenestrated facade. At one end is a cosy lounge area for receiving visitors or communal work, while a bright, fully equipped kitchen is located at the other.
    Warm-toned materials were chosen for the spaceIn between, the modular timber-framed glazed walls form a row of private offices, while an open workspace with large tables is positioned in front.
    Facing the windows is an uninterrupted wall that stretches 80 feet (24 metres), which is used by Mishler and her team as a backdrop for filming yoga videos for their app and Youtube channel.

    Ten homes designed for practising yoga and meditation

    Air ducts and other visual obstacles had to be moved to ensure that the shot is unobstructed, while the vertical slat in the lounge partition pivot to ensure the lighting is just right.
    “Natural light can be inspiring, but when filming, sometimes what they need is control – this allows them the best of both worlds,” said KKDW Studios.
    Slats in a partition can be adjusted to control light levels when filming in the spaceCushions for sofas and armchairs are wrapped in tufted, textured beige fabric in a variety of tones that are echoed in the rugs.
    From the exposed, angled ceiling hang a series of spherical pendant lamps, as well as power outlets on retractable cords for use at the workstations.
    An uninterrupted wall provides a backdrop for Adriene Mishler’s instructional yoga videos”All furniture is completely custom, designed after getting to know Adriene and her team, their needs, workflow, etc,” said KKDW Studios, which also acted as general contractor for the project.
    Yoga – a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices – continues to grow in popularity around the world, and demand for at-home workouts like those facilitated by Find What Feels Good skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
    Here are 10 homes with dedicated spaces for practising yoga and meditation.
    The photography is by Andrea Calo.

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    Eight bedrooms featuring regal four-poster beds

    There’s no symbol of luxury more universal than the four-poster bed. In this lookbook, we select eight bedrooms elevated by their presence.

    Beds with vertical columns in each corner supporting an upper panel date back to the medieval period.
    Originally built with wraparound curtains to keep out the cold and provide privacy, they have historically been associated with highly ornate designs for nobility.
    Today the four-poster bed remains an unmistakable statement piece of furniture, and the list below sees the concept applied to a variety of bedroom settings, from the traditional to the contemporary.
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with wood panelling, lounges with suspended fireplaces and homes with vaulted ceilings.

    Photo by Adolf BereuterHouse on the Schopfacker, Switzerland, by Bernardo Bader Architects
    Austrian studio Bernardo Bader Architects created this reinterpretation of the traditional Alpine chalet in the Swiss village of Trogen for an art and antique furniture collector.
    In the bedroom, a grand carved four-poster bed contrasts with contemporary chrome-edged furniture, as well as the concrete ceiling and the pale larch walls and floor.
    Find out more about House on the Schopfacker ›
    Photo courtesy of Soho HouseThe Ned, UK, by Soho House and Sydell Group
    The Ned is an upscale hotel formed out of a historic London bank originally designed by British architect Edwin Lutyens.
    Soho House worked with New York-based Sydell Group to give the bedrooms a 1920s feel, with large, mahogany four-poster beds bearing richly patterned curtains and set among other lavish details like walnut panelling and restored chandeliers.
    Find out more about The Ned ›
    Photo courtesy of StudioWTA and ASH NYCHotel Peter and Paul, USA, by StudioWTA and ASH NYC
    Crucifixes top the black four-poster beds inside the rooms of this New Orleans hotel as a nod to the building’s past as a church, rectory and convent.
    New York Design firm ASH NYC continued the religious iconography with paintings of saints on the walls, while traditional furniture and furnishings give the space a sense of timelessness.
    Find out more about Hotel Peter and Paul ›
    Photo by Rafael GamoVilla Pelícanos, Mexico, by Main Office
    This thatch-roof seaside villa overlooking the Pacific Ocean features a rustic four-poster bed hung with gauzy white curtains.
    Part of a 1980s holiday village renovated by architecture studio Main Office, the interior marries Mexican materials with South African elements – parota wood furniture sitting among a bright, blank backdrop delivered by the white walls and smooth concrete floor.
    Find out more about Villa Pelícanos ›
    Photo by Nicholas WorleyThe Tri-Pod, UK, by Scott Whitby Studio
    Designed for a polyamorous throuple, this bespoke boudoir by London-based Scott Whitby Studio has enough space for three people to sleep together comfortably.
    The architects chose to reimagine the traditional four-poster as a divider of space as well as a piece of furniture. Above the closable walnut sleeping space is a mezzanine for reading and relaxation.
    Find out more about The Tri-Pod ›
    Photo by Travis Williams/Travis MarkSackett Street townhouse, USA, by The Brooklyn Home Company
    The wooden four-poster bed in the main bedroom of this Brooklyn townhouse was designed and hand-crafted by Fitzhugh Karol, a sculptor-in-residence at The Brooklyn Home Company.
    It sits in the middle of a bright and airy bedroom with white oak floors, white-painted walls and an adjacent private terrace.
    Find out more about this Sackett Street townhouse ›
    Photo courtesy of Hunter Mabry DesignHenry Howard Hotel, USA, by Hunter Mabry Design
    Another New Orleans hotel renovation, this time with a sleek black metal four-poster bed that adds a gently modern touch to the rooms.
    New York studio Hunter Mabry Design juxtaposed the contemporary bed with antique furnishings and vintage brass instruments that reference the city’s jazz heritage.
    Find out more about Henry Howard Hotel ›
    Photo courtesy of Claesson Koivisto RuneXiang Jiang House, China, by Claesson Koivisto Rune
    Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune included a modern take on the traditional four-poster bed in this Beijing house that was designed to have a Scandinavian feel.
    An oversized plinth provides room for a bedside table lamp, enhancing the sense of tranquility and cosiness in the bedroom among the extra-wide floorboards and pale-wood wall panelling.
    Find out more about Xiang Jiang House ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with wood panelling, lounges with suspended fireplaces and homes with vaulted ceilings.

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    Kith creates “industrial ambiance” for its Williamsburg store

    American clothing brand Kith has created a flagship store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that uses brick, wood and steel to reference the industrial history of the neighbourhood.

    Designed by Kith’s founder Ronnie Fieg and the brand’s in-house team of architects, the Williamsburg location is located in the Gensler-designed 25 Kent Plaza office building, where Kith also has its corporate offices.
    Kith designed a store for its apparel in WilliamsburgThe design takes elements that carry through some of the other Kith stores, such as marble finishes and metal fins, and adds details that situate it in the context of Williamsburg.
    These include a massive circular structure at the heart of the store that is covered with red brick on the outside and lined with white oak inside. The piece was custom-made at a nearby, undisclosed wood workshop.
    It features a central structure made of brick and woodThis central element has a domed wooden ceiling with a wooden column and circular light fixtures that radiate out towards the edges concentrically.

    A number of sloping arched voids in the structure have metal-lined undersides and provide an entryway on two sides and display cases for the brand’s collection of sneakers on another.
    “We constructed the central dome completely from scratch and created the exterior from the same exact bricks used on the outside of the main building so it feels very cohesive as you enter,” said Fieg.
    “Every inch of that dome is custom which meant our precision down to the last minute detail was crucial.”
    “Outfitting the interior with rounded wood panels, shaping the footwear shelves to sit flush within the windows, every detail was poured over.”
    It steps down from an outdoor plazaOutside the circular area, the lights radiate perpendicularly, like sun rays, towards the walls.
    The perimeter of the store is lined with metal fins that block the sun from the glass-lined eastern exposure while also creating a massive logo when viewed from outside.
    Also lining the perimeter of the store are custom wooden clothing racks.
    A custom mosaic was placed in the floorPolished concrete flooring runs through the space, which steps down from the public plaza at the centre of 25 Kent.
    The designers oriented the entrance towards the plaza and placed garden boxes in the corners of the store to better connect it with the public space outside.
    Marble clads the snack bar”The industrial ambiance is balanced with lush oak trees outside, and an abundance of greenery spread throughout the store,” the brand said.
    The Kith Treats Area at the entrance – where a combination of ice cream and cereal are served – was lined with Rosa Aurora marble and has a to-go window that opens up to the plaza.
    The wooden elements were custom made nearbyA wall of stainless steel panels separates the treats area from the retail space, while the walls opposite the street-facing glass are matte concrete with wooden insets for further display and service areas.
    On the floor, Kith installed a brand logo made of mosaic tiles.

    Snarkitecture adds Nike Air Max chandelier to Kith streetwear store in Parisian mansion

    It is the third store in New York City for the brand, which was founded in 2011, and creates apparel for men, women and children.
    To celebrate the opening, the brand launched a sneaker with footwear companies Clarks and Adidas.
    It is in a Gensler-designed building in WilliamsburgThis is the twelfth store opened by Fieg, who moved to Williamsburg himself with his family in 2017, and the Kith headquarters there in 2021.
    “The restaurants, the shops, the people, and the atmosphere make it a very special area in New York and were all factors in us moving our brand HQ there in 2021,” he said.
    “It’s my home, our team’s home, and it only made sense for us to make it a home for our community.”
    Many of Kith’s prior locations, in Miami and Los Angeles, for instance, were designed by designer Daniel Arsham and his studio Snarkitecture.
    In both the Paris and original downtown Brooklyn locations, Kith installed chandeliers made up completely of Nike Air Max sneakers.

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    Printed textiles are “not just an accessory but something that can create a space” says Marimekko creative director

    Bold colours and prints can enhance interiors in the same way as architectural details, argues Rebekka Bay of lifestyle brand Marimekko in this interview.

    Bay was appointed creative director of the Finnish design firm in 2020 having previously held top roles at fashion brands including Everlane, Cos and Uniqlo.
    Founded in 1951, Marimekko is known for its bright and bold prints that are applied to clothing, ceramics and homeware.
    Bay talked to Dezeen about how printed textiles can add spatial design to interiors. Photo courtesy of MarimekkoMore than just decorative pieces, Bay believes Marimekko’s patterned surfaces can be used as features to define and create interior spaces.
    “Often printed textiles are confused with this idea of just being like a drape or a tablecloth, but really when we develop printed textiles at Marimekko we see them as architectural elements, something that can also add spatial design or architectural elements to your home,” she told Dezeen.

    “They are not just an accessory, but actually something that can create a space.”
    Marimekko collaborated with IKEA on a homeware collection informed by wellbeingIn the wake of coronavirus lockdowns, the ability of colourful prints to improve wellbeing and happiness in the home has become increasingly valuable, Bay added.
    “The role of the home is increasingly important because we have all been forced to relate to what our home environment is and how it supports our wellbeing,” she said.
    “There is a renewed understanding of the importance of creating a home environment that will allow you to both rest and re-energise.”
    “Being surrounded by bold beauty is something that evokes happiness or optimism,” Bay continued.
    References to Marimekko’s and IKEA’s Nordic heritage are seen throughout their collaborationPicking up on this trend, Marimekko recently collaborated with Swedish furniture retailer IKEA to create a homeware collection named Bastua, which includes furniture, glassware and textiles informed by nature and the self-care rituals of the Nordic sauna.
    Drawing on the brands’ Nordic heritage, the Bastua collection features practical home objects made from wood and glass.
    Bay said the collaboration aimed to focus on circularity and longevity.

    “I don’t end up with beautiful objects right away” says Jorge Penadés

    “What we share both at Marimekko and IKEA is that in the design process, we are concerned with how to design for circularity, how to design for longevity, how to design objects of timeless value and also multi-use objects,” she said.
    “Our intent in this collaboration was to design objects that will have this timeless value, both in terms of the design but also in terms of material.”
    “We have worked in very honest natural materials with glass and wood and other materials that improve over time and also focused on how the materials can be either recycled or upcycled.”
    The rhubarb leaf is a repeated motif in the Bastua collectionMarimekko developed brand new prints for the Bastua collection, including a large rhubarb-leaf design that references the plants often found growing beside sauna buildings in Finland.
    This print was applied to bath robes, seat cushions, shower curtains, trays and the iconic IKEA carrier bag.
    “Functionalism and pragmatism joins this idea of celebrating everyday objects, which is very much a product of Marimekko’s mission – to bring joy to people’s everyday lives,” said Bay.
    “I think for Nordic designers, we have strong design traditions in creating very beautiful but very functional, democratic design.”
    Bay believes bold, colourful prints can add happiness to the homeIn addition, she emphasised a desire to inject an element of humour into the designs.
    “At times it’s very subtle and very serious, but I think what is unique to both Marimekko and IKEA is this intent also to bring a smile or a wink,” she continued.
    “There’s something outside of the seriousness, wanting to develop truly high-quality, timeless design but also wanting to bring this little wink.”
    Bay enjoys creating collections that “bring a smile or a wink”Marimekko has accrued a large portfolio of prints over its seven decades of production and still reproduces archive designs.
    The brand’s historic prints are used to inform new print designs that it hopes will resonate with modern consumers.
    “I think there’s always this danger if you only look back that you end up being self-referential, or you end up being an archive or a museum piece,” said Bay.

    Sabine Marcelis and Marimekko product launches and talks feature today at IKEA Festival

    “I would hate to create something of only museum value and not create a proposal for the future,” she added.
    “There is this always looking back in order to look forward, always understanding what has resonated, what has broad relevance and then see if we can reposition or refocus that.”
    Other projects recognisable for their bold textile designs that have been featured on Dezeen include a collection of upholstery fabrics informed by Iranian culture and an exhibition that celebrates a 1940s print by using it to cover walls and seating.
    The photography is courtesy of Inter IKEA Systems BV unless otherwise stated.

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