Bozena's Notes on Design

I’ve always been advocating the principle of form following function, coined in 1896 by American architect Louis Sullivan. I believe that the shape of a furniture piece should be based upon its intended function.  Any interior filled by a purely decorative object the size of, let’s say, a dining room table, is for me a wasted space.

Having dinner at this table would be practically impossible to most men known to me (women would try to somehow squeeze in, as to not hurt the hostess’s feelings).

On the other hand, I appreciate multi-functional pieces like this one:

Somewhat a cross between a chair and a side table, can you imagine it as a bedside table in a summer house? Or as a side table by the sofa? Or maybe in a modern teen’s room, to hide all that stuff her live depends on?

I wonder what your opinion is on the following red leather writing table. Is the form overpowering the function? Is it a waste of space, or a useful piece of furniture? Do you love it or hate it?

Today (as on every April 7th) we celebrate No Housework Day. Although many of us delegate our chores, hire housecleaning services, or even have a full-time housekeeper, we still spend time making our beds, organizing our stuff, or picking up after our kids. But time is a very precious commodity – probably the one we value most. Shouldn’t we be spending it with our family and friends, doing what we love to do, instead of using it up for cleaning and caring for our material belongings? What if your house were to be designed as low-maintenance, making it possible to minimize the daily upkeep (giving you back your time to enjoy)?

Many years ago I read a book by Don Aslett titled Make Your House Do the Housework, which changed the way I look at the space I’m in. From that time on I see the interior design not only as a combination of form (the aesthetic aspect) and function (the utility factor). I am able to see the amount of time and money that is or will be spent by the owners on the process of maintaining it. This idea is one of the basic principles of healthy interior design my company, Bozena Studio, promotes and pioneers in (find out more on Healthy Interior Design blog).

I bet you’re eager to find out how to make your house to clean itself (I remember I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book!). Some of the author’s ideas include:

• Before you buy anything for your home, find out if it will: rot, fade, stain, dent, peel, scratch, rust, soil, shrink (in other words: what it’s made of).
• To minimize dust, use radiant heating (hot water or electric). Forced air systems move dust around, dirtying drapes, walls, etc. (it can eventually irritate your respiratory system – I know I’m susceptible to this).
• Get rid of excess furniture and stuff – it eliminates dust-gathering surfaces and floor obstacles to fast and efficient cleaning. If possible, suspend or build-in some furniture items.
• Buy self-maintaining furniture: sofas with attached pillows, no-nap upholstery fabric or self-straightening swivel chairs (like the Alster chair I just saw at the Ligne Roset showroom – a wonderful idea for all the Miss Perfects like me).
• Pick the right light fixtures. Avoid flat-bowl ceiling mounted ones (they collect grease and bugs and are hard to clean), minimize the use of floor lamps (many surfaces to dust, cords obstruct the path of vacuum cleaner). Choose hanging or built-in lamps, smooth surface lampshades, and use long-life light sources like LED or fluorescent.

For almost 10 years I’ve been trying out many of those techniques. Some require the home to undergo a remodel or general redesign (like the installation of radiant heating and low-maintenance tile flooring with minimal grout line), but most can be applied to  any existing home, just by changing our way of thinking (like using door mats and taking off your shoes after entering the house).

Bozena Studio clients are made aware of the future maintenance of a space we design for them, and based on this knowledge they are able to make educated choices regarding the selection of materials and items for their project. I sincerely believe that their time and money is not being spent on maintaining their new space, but on the things they love to do: career, family, friends.

Last week I did some leg work to see what’s happening in the design world on Beverly Blvd in Los Angeles. Spring is definitely visible, and not only on the outside (my friend Shelly and I had a wonderful time walking the streets of L.A. on a beautiful, sunny day). The modern furniture store displays were shouting “Don’t you know that summer is right around the corner?!”

Bright green and orange are present almost everywhere, mainly in upholstery and accessories.  Their juiciness and fresh looks make them look great on stark white or a light neutral background, as well as paired with darker grays and browns.

Alster chair at Ligne Roset

Outdoor furniture, made out of weather- and UV-resistant materials, is pretty enough to stand on display indoors (not that I would want to use it there). B&B Italia’s Ravel outdoor sofas bloom with big and small flowers in neutral darks and lights, as not to compete with your garden’s colors or a tropical ocean view. Notice the ethno-pattern on the modern-line tables.

Ravel by B&B Italia

Even felt (popular this year) has been formed and cut as stylized leaves blooming on pillows.

Flower felt pillow at Jules Seltzer & Assoc.

The crisp green and white bathroom in Ann Sacks’ showroom will make your every morning fresh and cheerful (if you’re bold enough to pick this color for your next bathroom remodel).

Green bathroom at Ann Sacks

During my travels to Vienna, Austria, I was always intrigued by the buildings designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser. You can imagine my amazement when I found out I can spend a few nights in a hotel, of which the exterior as well as interior was one of the last works of this famous Austrian painter and architect.

Hot Springs Village in Blumau (Styria) looks like a surreal city in the middle of a beautiful rural land. Round shapes, contrasting colors, oddly placed doors and windows, and green roofs are all Hundertwasser trademarks, recognizable worldwide (some of his projects are even in Japan and New Zealand).

In Hundertwasser’s words:
“If man walks in nature’s midst, then he is nature’s guest and must learn to behave as a well-brought-up guest.”

Hundertwasser’s recognizable spirals, strong color contrasts, lack of straight corners, and mosaics are present everywhere – even in the hotel bathrooms. The art becomes an integral decoration, accessible on an everyday basis. The eco-friendly approach to nature and its beauty (green roofs, trees growing in the middle of buildings) stays up-to-date today, showing Hundertwasser’s visionary approach to the applied arts and architecture.