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.