Scandizzo House, Toorak by Studio Kennon

A beautiful kitchen on the cover of Australian Elle decoration and some research... Writing articles for the blog about beautiful products and spaces after finding a picture I love, is often a lot of searching, reading captions and stories and finding the right credits. Happy to show you some images about Scandizzo House, in Toorak by Studio Kennon, a Melbourne-based practice creating architecture from private homes to grander civic gestures, each project is considered for what it will contribute to the human experience, and how it will fulfil our need for connection. 

Room on Fire is a Sydney-based design studio founded by Chloë McCarthy who began her carreer in the magazine industry at Vogue Living before a move to interior design, working at acclaimed Australian architecture firm Akin Atelier prior to starting her own business. They design interiors and curate furniture, art and objects for residential, retail and commercial projects, and editorials and advertising campaigns. In this post their recent styling work for Studio Kennon, shot by Derek_Swalwell 

Pictures via Room on Fire 

Pietro Franceschini first furniture collection | Olympus

Bling Bling Ottoman // Photography Angela Simi

Pietro Franceschini is an architect and designer based in New York and Florence. He was educated in Italy, Portugal and United States and after receiving his B.Arch cum laude from Università degli Studi di Firenze and his M.S.Arch with 1st class honour from Pratt Institute. He worked as an architect until a year ago when he started a new project: PF | STUDIO, an interior and furniture design practice. 

Graphics and visualization are an important tool in his design process, something which we can see back in his first furniture collection called 'Olympus Series' I am so happy to be able to show some of his work on Vosgesparis today. The presentation of the different pieces are minimalistic, sophisticated and raw at the same time and beautiful captured at Numeroventi the contemporary renaissance residence in Firenze I wrote about earlier.

Olympus Series

Neoteny is the condition in which an organism reaches maturity without loosing all of its juvenile characteristics. An exhibit at A/D/O in Brooklyn about the possibility of a ‘Neotenic Design‘ has been the starting point for a deep research in terms of language and materiality, leading to Pietro’s first furniture collection: Olympus. It is a diverse and experimental body of works. Classical and majestic meet young and playful. 

Bling Bling Ottoman // Photography Daniel Civetta

Golden Arch Console // Photography Angela Simi

As a brass lover I am really impressed by the Golden Arch Console captures on the stairs at Numeroventi, a real statement piece! 

Golden arch Console in Brass // photography Nuri Rashid

Gamma M02 stool as featured in the catalog

Nero Carrara marble is another favourite material of mine, pictured above the Gamma M02 stool, I love the almost Japanese look of it while still being really sculptural. View from another side in the picture below, a 3D render by Enrico Capanni, showing a pretty amazing world with the sculptural furniture pieces. In the back of the image, a stool of the 3 different stools from the Cha Cha Cha collection. 

 3D render by Enrico Capanni 

New mages from my kitchen & a lamp made by ANOUR

Although you already saw some pictures we made in my kitchen for our w/ Style shoots, I made a few more to show you my latest treasure, the 'Divar' lamp from Anour. With a worktop extractor, which I would highly recommend in case you are building your kitchen, I had to think of how to illuminate the worktop and this part of my kitchen that is painted in black.

I love to keep the wall free from kitchen cabinets or cluttered shelves and with a relatively low ceiling already I didn’t want to lower it any further in order to build in some spots. After seeing a picture on Instagram off a kitchen with a likewise 3 meter worktop and the Divar lamp by Anour I had to have a closer look at the different materials and possibilities. 

Anour collaborates with specialized craftsmen called “brazier" [workers in brass] at their own workshop, which I showed on the blog last month: A new showroom for Danish lighting brand Anour With their own workshop the brand has the opportunity to create very specific material finishes and turn copper, brass, steel, aluminium, wood and marble into custom lighting for customers and bespoke projects. 

Initially I could have chosen a matching brass finish, I loved to see the material with my own eyes though and see how the different finishes would match with the rest of my kitchen: the wooden cabinets by Norm Architects for Reform Copenhagen and the black Kelya worktop by Cosentino. I think it is important to see and feel materials and what finish you are most attracted to once you have them in your hands, for me decorating my home has all to do with emotion and what makes my heart jump.

Luckily enough I was able to have a look at the different samples at Mobilia, an interior store near my home where Anour is sold, and it didn’t take me long to go for a Browned brass. A finish that looks sophisticated with the black wall painted in colour ‘Amsterdam’ by Studio AnoukB and adds a sparkle at the same time. Besides perfectly made and finished I love the minimal look and soft light that shines both up and down and of course the dimmable function which I love. Also the finish of the lamp is versatile enough to also fit a lighter painted wall beautifully.

Sustainable & honest handmade products
The recent pandemic that we are in made it even clearer that we need to return to a simpler and more sustainable society. Honest handmade products, skilled craftsmen and professionals and production closer to home. Also in my own house I try to take this into account as much as possible and prefer buying a handmade product over mass production.

The fact that Anour collaborates with craftsmen in their own workshop is something I really appreciate, according to an interview I read, only a handful of official material finishers (braziers) are left in existence in Denmark. The finishers are the heart of Anour – They are the ones that shape the materials to obtain the perfect patina, suiting the lamps and light, to give the best look to blend with a specific room – And it’s all done by hand. Limiting the number of lights made, preserving the authenticity of the product and the story that comes with

For me personally it also meant I got all the answers to my questions and help including understanding the electricity connections needed and the option to adjust the length, good and clear communication is certainly something I love.

This however is not the only way they set themselves apart from the rest, for Anour, it has been important to work with materials that allow the buyer to enjoy their product for a lifetime. It is a showdown against the ever-hungry consumer society that buys, consumes and discards. It's about the tactile approach to materials. And embracing the ageing process of materials as value rather than a negative. 

Minimalism and trends
I feel lucky to have added this lamp to my kitchen and the fact I didn’t make quick decisions but chose a well thought design made by hand. It felt rather special to receive an email saying they started making my lamp. Anour produces to order – which means that no material will be wasted on stocking up a product which might never sell.

I personally love minimal design and Anour as a brand perfectly fits my ideas on how to decorate my home. I like simple lines and shapes without (to many) unnecessary features. Loving minimal spaces with only the bare essentials for me always go hand in hand though with the longing for friends around the table filled with plates and bottles, good food and the warmth of candles and soft lighting.

My taste developed over the years and it is no secret I love metal furniture, as it is timeless, I believe that only pure and natural materials can age with me over the years. And as Arash, founder of Anour says: “Design trends are often temporary, and they usually come at a high price for our planet’s material resources. That is why we rely on evergreens within our material library. Consciously working with simple forms in order to allow the materials to shine.”

“These precious materials don’t come cheap, and some of our lamps can seem expensive – but our uncompromising approach is based on high standards, we exist to create lamps that are so simple in design that they become timeless Icons. Carefully manufactured and constantly improved to get better and smarter “ Great design is about eliminating the noise, by reducing objects to their absolute essentials. I’m constantly searching for the source of purity and perfection in my work.” 

The story

Reintroducing the value of simplicity is the first thing you see when looking at the website of Danish Design lighting company Anour and I couldn't agree more. I have been following Anour for a few years and wrote several blogs about them before, never this personal though and funny thing I discovered, in my very first post back in 2016 I selected the Divar as my favourite of the collection. 

Founder and Architect Arash Nourinejad graduated in 2007 and launched Anour.dk to showcase his portfolio while working as an architect for kitchens. The first ‘I model’, now a fundamental part of the Anour brand, was made as an accessory to compliment a bed he had crafted at his home during a renovation back in 2012. After showing the lamp at a furniture fair in Copenhagen Arash started exploring the whole lighting range, fulfilling customers dreams thanks to new unique materials, variety of sizes and opened his own workshop in Copenhagen. 

With many leftovers from producing the I model, and demands from customers asking for different shapes of suspension lamps above home and office tables, the company designed different models resulting in a carefully curated collection. When introducing the first table lamp in 2017 also wood was introduced as a new material for the I model, currently available in Oak, Black Stain Oak and Walnut. Recently also a new table lamp was introduced which I showed you in my home here for the first time. 

I love how my kitchen is coming together finding the perfect details over time and cooperating with beautiful brands and Studio AnoukB for the first floor and wall choices and as a perfect sparring partner and friend. Next I will be working on finishing some small details, and finding a beautiful carpet and new window coverings and maybe even a 'fire' place or different table to make the kitchen even a more cozy part of my home.

Written in collaboration with Anour

 

At home with Kinfolk | Dosan exhibition

Kinfolk Dosan is a lifestyle and community space in Seoul and the world's first Kinfolk location - delivering the exact values from the Kinfolk magazines into reality. Built around a sunny courtyard in the heart of Gangnam, Kinfolk Dosan houses a bustling Tartine Bakery, concept store and florist on the ground floor, with a private loft, outdoor terrace and pop up event space upstairs. Currently the space is used for the first in a new series of experiential exhibitions. 

I missed exhibitions like this and the design world buzz in general, staying at home and keeping myself safe was my main occupation over the last months and I miss travelling, my summer holiday and hugging my family which made me realize even more what a fantastic Summer I had last year, renting a house where all were welcome and doing their own thing, while having cozy dinner moments at night together and lots of talks you only have when you stay together for a longer time again. 

As Kinfolk Dosan says: 'The lockdown measures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have reminded us all of the importance of home: As a sanctuary against the outside world, as somewhere to share moments with friends and family, and as a living reflection of our interests beyond its walls.'

In partnership with Vint Gallery, Teo Yang Studios, Creative Lab, Vitra and Cassina, Kinfolk Dosan is hosting a month-long experiential exhibition celebrating the beauty of home, featuring iconic French furniture from Modernist designers such as Jean Prouvé, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand and Le Corbusier. See if there is a spot left to visit here

Images via Kinfolk 

New plans and collections by Frama

While the team at Frama is preparing an all new experience at the Frama store for the next season, I thought of showing you the latest additions to their ever expanding collection. I have always loved the industrial character of the Eiffel lamp and need to confess I have one in a box for a long time waiting for the right place and time. If you love seeing more of Frama and their different projects have a look here at all my previous blog stories and styling.

The latest addition to the Eiffel series is the Single Eiffel lamp and I fell in love with the lamp all over again! Designed by Krøyer-Sætter-Lassen, I would describe them as Minimal Chic with the simple form and the brass detail that functions as a dimmer.

As Frama explains:'In balance between construction and form, the new additions to the Eiffel Series are made with simplicity in mind. The softly diffused light is dimmable, making the lamp suitable for any space and available in two sizes, 500 and 1000 mm.  

New also the AML Lamp collection, which celebrates the pure industrial aesthetic and the poetic charm of a classic light bulb. Known for creating rigorous and refined architecture, Andreas Martin-Löf has designed a series of lamps intending to add personality and practicality to the work desk, bedside, or the living room

The Clamp Lamp is a small lighting fixture composed of a folded metal clamp and a molded light holder. It can easily be fixed to a bookshelf, a table, windowsill, or even on a pile of magazines.

The Library Lamp is composed of a combination of folded metal body and light holder to create a bookend. It can be placed on the shelf or the desk, either as a bookend or as a free-standing fixture.

Pictures by Frama // first picture by Niels Strøyer Christophersen