reviewersjournal.com

New design systems add sparkle (I)

A relatively new world in interior design is “system.” Like its counterpart in science and technology, it merely refers to parts that form a greater whole when linked together. System for storage has become common in home design. Modular storage pieces that can be linked to form an entire storage wall, ceiling to floor, have replaced the expensive and less efficient breakfront, bar or work space. These are equally popular in seating. Modular units in many styles, sizes and shapes are available in thousands of fabrics in today’s market, replacing the conventional furniture grouping of sofa and chairs. The newer system, in fact, incorporates table or other horizontal surfaces. The entire system is finished on all sides so that it can “float” in space, rather than be glued to the walls in the more traditional layout.

In a living room I worked on, I most of all needed softness. The floors were white ceramic title in a 30.4 cm sq (12 in.) module, giving an elegant, but chilly feel to the room. The walls were merely painted. The pair of striking pop-out “greenhouse” windows was not covered by draperies. The title simply continued the floor into the glassed-in space, where masses of plants on the floor and hanging in baskets created the greenhouse effect.