The art of predicting: Identifying a future interior design classic

In the ever-evolving world of interior design, trends come and go like the seasons. While many styles fade into obscurity, a select few endure the test of time, achieving the coveted status of a ‘classic’. But how do designers, collectors and enthusiasts alike identify which trends will become timeless treasures? In this blog post, we’ll explore the art of predicting future interior design classics and offer insights on what to look for to cultivate a space that stands the test of time.

Have nothing in your house which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful, William Morris

Understanding the essence of a classic

First and foremost, we need to define what constitutes a classic in interior design. A classic piece or style isn’t just aesthetically pleasing; it resonates with culture, functionality and emotional resonance. Classics often possess several essential qualities:

Simplicity and timelessness: Classics transcend seasonal trends. Think of the elegance of a mid-century modern chair or the allure of an antique Chesterfield sofa. These pieces are designed with clean lines and versatile structures, allowing them to remain relevant through the decades.
Quality craftsmanship: Future classics are often rooted in superb craftsmanship. Materials should be durable, and the construction should showcase meticulous attention to detail. Investing in quality often results in pieces that not only last longer but also carry a heritage that appeals to future generations.
Cultural significance: Pieces that resonate with cultural and historical narratives tend to become classics. For instance, Scandinavian design‘s emphasis on functionality speaks to modern minimalist values, making it not just a trend but a potentially lasting influence.
Versatile application: A future classic should fit smoothly within various design aesthetics. It should be versatile enough to complement different styles, allowing for flexibility and adaptability in various settings.

Key indicators of a future classic

So how do we pinpoint which contemporary trends might evolve into enduring classics? Here are some indicators to consider:

Sustainable practices: As society shifts toward sustainability, furnishings and materials that prioritise eco-friendliness and durability are more likely to gain a classic status. Furniture made from reclaimed materials or products featuring sustainable production practices may eventually define a new era of timeless design.
Functionality meets aesthetics: Pieces that solve problems or elevate functionality tend to bubble up to classic status. Multipurpose furniture, like stylish ottomans that double as storage, blend practicality with beauty, appealing to the modern homeowner.
Colour and texture trends: While trends in colour fade quickly, hues that evoke tranquillity or warmth may emerge as timeless. Natural tones, soft pastels and the re-emergence of earthy shades can create lasting appeal. Textures, too – like velvet, wood and marble – offer depth and warmth that can sustain interest over time.
Artisanal touch: The rise of hand-crafted and artisanal goods signifies a growing departure from mass-produced items. Unique, well-crafted pieces speak to individuality and authenticity, attributes that often become recognised as timeless.
Influence of technology: As technology fields evolve, items that incorporate smart technology seamlessly with aesthetic appeal may bridge the gap between practicality and beauty, carving out a niche in future classics.

Embracing the potential for classics

As designers and consumers, embracing the art of predicting future classics means understanding that our choices today lay the groundwork for tomorrow’s styles. Here are a few tips for making decisions that will pay off in the long run:

Invest wisely: Consider durable items crafted from sustainable materials. Prioritising quality over quantity often yields pieces that will age beautifully.
Choose versatile designs: Opt for items that can be integrated into a variety of settings and styles. The more adaptable a piece, the more likely it will remain relevant.
Focus on emotional connection: Select items that resonate with you personally. Pieces that tell a story or evoke particular emotions often find their way into the ‘classic’ category.
Stay informed: Follow design trends and ongoing discussions within the industry. Blogs, magazines and social media platforms offer insights into rising potentials and shifts in aesthetics.

Conclusion

Identifying a future interior design classic isn’t an exact science; it’s an art form that requires intuition, trend-awareness and a keen eye for quality. By focusing on timeless features, sustainable practices and emotional connections, you can curate a space that not only feels relevant today but will continue to inspire for years to come. So, as you embark on your design journey, remember to look beyond fleeting trends and embrace the beauty of the classics that lie ahead!

Designer Desire: Ron Arad

Justin was watching an episode of George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces programme on television recently (see below) that highlighted the Design Museum in Holon, Israel. It’s an incredible, one-of-a-kind building, designed in 2010 by Ron Arad.

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Ron Arad studied at the Jerusalem Academy of Art prior to emigrating to London in 1973. In the early 1980s, he founded his own practice in London and set up One Off Ltd with his partner Caroline Thorman, focusing on limited-edition objects.

Throughout his career to date, Arad (b. 1951) has created sculpture, furniture, jewellery and audio equipment using materials including glass, textile, metal, wood, ceramic, marble and plastic. He is a master of design!

Designers accuse me of being an artist, artists accuse me of being an architect, and architects accuse me of being a designer. But it doesn’t bother me too much; that’s just the way the fragmented world works. _{Ron Arad}

Arad has worked with many leading design firms such as Kartell, Vitra, Driade, Guzzini and Moroso. He has collaborated with Fiat, Swarovski, KENZO, Samsung, Adidas and many more.

His more famous works include the award-winning ‘This Mortal Coil’ bookshelf, ‘Big Easy’ chair and ‘Victoria and Albert’ sofa.

There are over 50 examples of his work in the V&A collection in London and at least half a dozen in MoMA in New York.

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Additional image credits:
Bukowskis | Phillips

Designer Desire: Zvi Narkiss

Born in Romania, (1921-2010) Zvi Narkiss was an award winning graphic designer and topographer.

He emigrated to Palestine at the age of 23, settling in Jerusalem. There, he attended painting classes with Jakob Steinhardt and Mordecai Ardon. He progressed on to study graphic design at The New Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. He was so considered so talented, he bypassed the first academic year. The following year, he was invited to join the graphics department at the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (the Jewish National Fund). Between 1950 and 1955 he was the chief graphic designer of the IDF’s training aids unit and served as head of the manuals’ design unit of the Israeli Air Force.

In 1955, he founded his own graphic design & typography studio where, for half a century, he designed books, exhibitions, stamps, banknotes, coins, advertising posters and logos. Amongst his many projects he designed two biblical books – the Horev Bible and the Hebrew University Bible – Jerusalem Crown for which he created a special typeface. He designed Israel’s very first tourism poster (included in the montage above), the IDF pavilion at the First Decade Exhibition (1958), the Victory Medal (1967), the Peace Medal (1977) and banknotes for the national bank of Israel.

Of all the design genres he practised, his real speciality was type design (fonts). He was the most prolific designer of Hebrew types during the 20^th century; throughout his career, he designed a total of 14 typeface sets. Narkis, the book types he created that bear his name (Narkiss, Narkis Block, New Narkis, Narkis Tam and Narkisim), are the most popular and commonly in use in Israel. All in all, he designed five of the ten most frequently used typefaces in Israel.

In 2006, he won the EMET Prize in the design category for his Hebrew font designs.

At Narkiss’ funeral in 2010, the head of the department of visual communications department at his alma mater eulogised that, although the population at large don’t know the name Zvi Narkiss:

…most of us ‘consume’ Narkis’ work on a daily basis, at nearly every moment… Zvi’s letters, the Hebrew letters Zvi designed over many years during his long career, appear and are in use everywhere. Nearly any material printed in Hebrew bears at least one of the typefaces Narkis designed, be it a best-selling novel, a daily newspaper, packaging for cheese, the opening of a television program, a road sign or paper currency. Narkis’ work is outstanding and very unusual. He nurtured and enriched the appearance of the Hebrew letter in a variety of new shapes – Zvi’s work has become the standard relative to which everything is designed.

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Additional image credits:
Palestine Poster Project | Wikipedia

Art Deco explained

When we look at the history of design in art, the late 19th and the whole of the 20th century have quite the story to tell. It was a period of constant flux & change, with many new styles that defied the ones that came just before them. And, in one way or another, all of those styles are beginning to make a comeback, even today.

While they were striking and different in their time, these styles still manage to retain their evergreen appeal. In other words, even the contemporary man can enjoy them with as much passion as the people a century or so ago.

One such style that everyone instantly recognises is Art Deco. The name itself makes us instantly think of jazz, the prohibition, expressionist theatre and the early days of the Great Depression. It was a time of great inter-war prosperity, but also a lot of uncertainty. Furthermore, it was a time when artists tended to move away from purely aesthetic ideas and aimed to combine both beauty and practicality in art. In other words, Art Deco was purposefully modern since its conception, which is why it’s so appealing – even now.

But what is Art Deco? How would you best describe it to someone who’s completely new to the movement? Well, this post is here to help you do just that.

The origins of Art Deco: a brief history

First and foremost, we should point out that this style did not originally go by the name Art Deco. When it first appeared, most people simply called it the modern style. In its later phases, during the mid and late 1930s, it had the name ‘New Moderne’ or Streamline Moderne. English art historian, Bevis Hillier, would use the new name in 1968 in his book Art Deco of the 20s and 30s, which popularised the term. However, even he noted that the name was in use several years before he published his book.

Art Deco is short for Arts Décoratifs, ‘decorative art’ in French. The name comes from the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts held in Paris, France. Many people tend to confuse this style with other popular movements, such as Art Nouveau, the Bauhaus School and Art Moderne. However, this style is quite different. In fact, it came out as a direct reaction to the Art Nouveau tendencies that were popular in Europe and North America at the time.

Characteristics of Art Deco

Art Deco embraced modernity at the time. The style focused on geometric and angular shapes, sharp angles and bright colours. Furthermore, it used new, artificial and expensive materials to its advantage. A typical piece from that era would contain aluminium, lacquer, plastic and stainless steel alongside ebony, ivory and moulded glass. Exotic materials such as zebra and shark skins also became popular fixtures.

The movement took inspiration from Greco-Roman Classicism, as well as other cultures around the world (Aztec, Mayan, Babylonian, Egyptian etc). Triangles and trapezoids dominated, as well as stepped forms, chevron patterns and the sunburst motif. Since the design was so practical and simple it remained popular until the outbreak of WWII. However, while the style itself was simple, it wasn’t minimal… or even minimalist. In fact, the artists and designers often chose elaborate, interesting solutions to design problems and came up with fascinating ideas.

Examples of Art Deco

Art Deco is a style that, once you see it, you’ll be able to recognise everywhere. We’ll list some of the most prominent examples of Art Deco design in the sections below.

Architecture

Most people tend to think of architectural design when Art Deco is mentioned. In fact, the architects of the time embraced the movement, as it fit so well with the contemporary lifestyle. Every type of building had an Art Deco touch to it; from garages to cafés, from cinemas to airports. However, one type of building seemed to fit the style perfectly – skyscrapers. Indeed, it was as if skyscrapers and Art Deco were made for each other.

By far the most famous example of this type of architecture is the Chrysler Building in New York City. It has everything; from smooth, shiny surfaces to sharp edges and ornate, geometric details. It also made excellent use of modern materials. More than anything, the Chrysler showed that a concrete building can be an aesthetic marvel. Other examples of buildings constructed in a similar style include:

Chanin Building (New York)
The Empire State Building (New York)
Houston City Hall (Texas)
Cincinnati Union Terminal (Ohio)
Kansas City Power and Light Building (Missouri)

Interestingly, the creators of the 1990s television show Batman: The Animated Series chose Art Deco as the dominant style for Gotham City. In fact, many people who decorate their homes in this style today took their inspiration from watching the series as children back in the early ’90s.

Furniture

Art Deco furniture followed the same patterns and motifs as the architecture of that time. Every piece had sharp geometric, symmetrical designs and patterns. Furthermore, the use of striking colours such as bright green, red and yellow was common. Each piece evoked progress and development, keeping up with the technological boom of the time.

In terms of materials, designers experimented quite a bit. They’d use hard, natural materials like wood and leather – all to great effect. And they also experimented with manufactured materials such as aluminium and steel. In fact, you could find interesting furniture that contained heavy metal frames and cushions of natural leather. It was the contrast that attracted people most of all.

In addition, each chair, wardrobe, stool, shelf etc. looked practical, thanks to the modern materials. An item had aesthetic beauty, but it was also one that you could use in everyday activities.

Visual arts and graphic design

Magazine covers, adverts, movie posters, illustrations and other forms of visual art all embraced Art Deco with passion. Visual artists looked for different ways to emphasise the modern spirit of the ’20s & ’30s, with rectangular and square shapes, angular fonts and bold colour palettes.

Sexuality, or at least a celebration of the human form, was also a big part of their works – usually expressed using geometric, modern depictions.

The main motif, however, was moving forward boldly and with pride. Each piece would experiment with straight lines to emphasise the speed of the age, as well as the smooth, modern edges of contemporary buildings, furniture and even vehicles. Because, let’s not forget, the automobile industry was also booming at the time, and the cars reflected the style of the age.

In conclusion

Of course, there’s a lot more to the Art Deco movement than what we’ve listed in the paragraphs above. With that in mind, we encourage you to explore further. In fact, you may even want to introduce some of these Art Deco ideas to your own home. After all, it’s a style that will always feel fresh and modern, in any age and in any home.

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Tag: design