Tour James Huniford's VIP Lounge for the Collective Design Fair
Designing the lounge at Collective Design Fair is no easy feat. The blank canvas is a garage-like space with industrial pipes and beams looming overhead, no windows, and rough stone walls. James Huniford managed to find the perfect antidote to the cold-feeling space this year. The solution? A combination of smartly sourced art and richly upholstered furnishings from the designer's own collection, making their debut in the space, which imbue the once sterile interior with a warm, natural sensibility. "We wanted to give it an organic feel," the designer says. "Nature is a big part of my inspiration, so I wanted to make it central to the room." Case in point: an eye-catching video work by artist Jennifer Steinkamp that meets visitors straight on as they enter the room. It provides a kind of alternative to a window, giving a sense of nature's rhythm while staying true to the understated palette. The room branches out from there into a variety of small seating arrangements, encouraging conversation while still feeling natural. "It's something that wouldn't seem out of place in a residential space," Huniford explains. Click through for a full tour and to hear more of Huniford's inspiration.
1/7"I wanted to work with colors that were calm and soothing, but also luxurious," explains Huniford of the upholstery on his newly launched furniture, which fills the space. He had pillows made in coordinating fabrics.
Photo: Gregory Pace2/7"I love movement," Huniford says of the animated Jennifer Steinkamp work he selected for the room. "Without windows, this room was in danger of feeling stagnant." The amorphous ottomans in front of it, which are upholstered in rich velvet, also give off an organic vibe.
3/7"I love art, but I'm a minimalist about it," Huniford says. "I like things that are calm and soothing but still grab your attention, that make you look at something in a different way." An array of works in subdued hues fill the walls, which the designer left white for a sense of continuity and to maintain the space's original industrial style.
4/7An antique propeller graces one wall. "It's another element to add interest," Huniford says. "It's the kind of thing that really could work in a loft, an uptown apartment, or a house by the beach."
5/7A corner shelf with collected objects adds visual interest.
6/7A round carpet has the effect of subtly breaking up the large room into smaller areas.
7/7"This color is a real departure for me," says Huniford of the chartreuse velvet club chairs. The connecting thread? Nature, of course. "It reminds me of a washed-out moss."
