Home of Terence Conran

The dining chairs came from a decomissioned ocean liner and Conran designed the table.

Black Fischel chairs with a vintage Saarinen Tulip table.

The sofa and rug are Conran's own designs.

The french deco table was brought at a flea market at L'isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Provence. (I've been there!)
The boxes (left) hold Conran's butterfly collection.

Shaker brushes from New York's antique stores are displayed over the bathroom's fireplace.

The armrest on this chair broke so Conran changed it to make it more useful...

Sir Terence Conran is a design businessman that I have admired for a long time - he is a well known designer, restaurateur, retailer and publisher. He has made quite an impression in the design world and received the Prince Philip Designers Prize in recognition of his lifetime achievements in design. I made great efforts to visit most of his retail and restaurant businesses as well as the Design Museum, which he founded, when I lived in London.

So how does a person of his design reputation live? Simply with classic design pieces and quirky details throughout.

Photographs via House to Home.

Inspiration Profile: David Alsop

Welcome to this week's Inspiration Profile and we have another interesting Wellingtonian. His name is David Alsop and he is the owner and director of {Suite} Gallery on Cuba Street, Wellington. Next week Alsop will be opening the new 'Westra' Gallery on Oriental Bay.

David Alsop, outside the soon-to-be 'Westra' Gallery at 108 Oriental Bay, Wellington. Photo - Guy Robinson.

Name:  David Alsop

What do you do: I’ve been the owner/director of {Suite} Gallery for 5 years.

Where do you live: Wellington, New Zealand

What are you working on:   The opening of our 'Westra' Gallery at 108 Oriental Parade on 21st of March, dedicated to Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon Artist, Ans Westra; and finding a home for the remaining paintings in Irene Ferguson’s paintings currently on show at Level 2/147 Cuba Street.

{Suite} at Level 2/147 Cuba Street, Wellington

Who/what inspires me: People – Desiree Dolron, Yves Klein, Ans Westra, Peter McLeavey, Hugo & Sylvie Alsop

Other – seeing/hearing ‘underdog against the odds stories’;  receiving feedback to the effect that what I’m doing with the gallery is having a positive affect on others. 

I work best: First thing in the morning and between about 8-10pm when the kids are in bed. 

What I do when I’m stuck for inspiration:  Walk around our house and look at what’s on the walls.  Reflect on what’s been working well recently and what hasn’t.  Learn from previous mistakes and sucesses.

The best advice I have been given is: Take things slowly and don’t grow the gallery too quickly (from Gavin Hipkins). Yeah Right.  

My latest discovery is:  Publishing.  We recently re-published Ans Westra’s seminal 1964 book ‘Washday at the Pa’, and published 'Roger Boyce: The Illustrated History of Painting’ (featuring text from Justin Paton). It was nice to think at Christmas time that people would be receiving a present I’d created, and everyone I have heard from likes it!

Upcoming book projects include the publication of Wayne Youle’s amalgam of his artworks and images selected by others, a book for Ans Westra of images of the altered New Zealand landscape and a book related to Neil Pardington’s 'Cushing Project'.

Ans Westra
Turangawaewae, Ngaruwahia, 1963
Illustrated 'Maori' 1967
Vintage Silver Gelatin Print
265 x 220mm

Irene Ferguson

Gale6

Oil on canvas

1524 x 1016 mm

2012

Books that I get inspiration from:  Most art related books, especially Ans Westra’s ‘Maori (1967) and Notes on the Country I Live In (1972). 

Magazines that inspire me:  Sculpture, Elle Wonen (Dutch), Pilot, Cycling News and Wallpaper.

Blogs that I enjoy:   I don’t read many but do enjoy Roger Boyce Paints and Over the Net and On the Table.  I also on occasions read Murray Crane’s Dispatch. 

My favourite room at home is: Our dining room, which houses some of our Dolron collection of photographs, some of our favourite furniture and the first painting that Susannah and I brought (then sold then rebrought) together.

My office is: {Suite} Gallery at Level 2/147 Cuba Street, Wellington;  'Westra Gallery' at 108 Oriental Parade, Wellington; and at home: office/garage/cellar/storage for the galleries. 

What am I looking forward to:  
Our Irish Terrier not running away (did you spot him in David's profile photo?)
Spending a little less time working. 
Upcoming settlement of purchase of land at Otaki Beach. 
The opening of our ‘Westra Gallery” (opening 21st March 2012)

Arie Hellendoorn
Cranial
Watercolour on paper
700 x 510mm
2011

Douglas Stichbury
Untitled (Melting Man)
Pencil and coloured transparency
380 x 250mm
2012

All photographs and images are displayed with permission by David Alsop and {Suite} Gallery.

Rustic Barn House

This rustic and refined barn house, located within a vineyard near Rochester, New York, seemed appropriate to post on this wet autumnal evening. Beautiful details in this home include the 75mm thick solid maple kitchen island bench top (heavy!), the worn patina on the leather wing chair, the internal timber beam coming from the 150 year old barn frame as well as all the lovely natural details and displays through out.
Photographs via Martha Stewart.

Interior Moments

Loving these interior moments from the Melbourne home of graphic designer, Zoe Murphy and her family - especially that green pendant light! See the rest of The Design Files home tour here.
Photographs by Sean Fennessy via The Design Files.

Coffee Table

I have a client who is looking at a Noguchi coffee table for her living area - and I remembered seeing this living room by AB Chao with the same table some time ago. I really liked how the well known design classic worked in this relaxed living room - it is a great example of how to mix different types of furnishings successfully.
Photographs via AB Chao.

Pink and Picasso

Recognise the bed head-board in this bedroom?  You may remember seeing it here as the former occupants of this room, artist Julian Schanbel and his wife, Olatz are no longer together. While the bed head-board has moved to a more simpler (but still grand) turquoise space, it held its own in this vibrant and baroque-style pink room with Picasso's Femme au Chapeau hanging nearby. Impressive.
Photograph via Vanity Fair.

Stylish Hair Salon

Check out this very stylish hair salon, Morrison Hair Co. at Laguna Beach, California. Located at a spanish style house, the design combination of an upmarket salon with a relaxed 'home' vibe is successfully achieved. The waiting area is like a comfortable living room and there is no distinct 'reception' area, yet the salon remains professional with the clean lines and industrial furnishings. See more about this great salon and its transformation here.
Photographs by Laure Joliet via At Home At Home.

Sophisticated Notting Hill Flat

Here is a sophisicated Victorian flat in Notting Hill, London by Ebba Thott of Sigmar. Swedish by birth and now based in London, Thott has managed a successful blend of Scandinavian and English design influences in the interiors. I love the grey on the walls, the dark trims and doors as well as the eclectic mix of modern and traditional furnishings (both English and Scandinavian).
Photographs by Petr Krejci via Remodelista

An Artistic Interior

Here is an astonishing interior space filled with many books and pieces of art - the photographs by Matthew Hranek shows what seems like an office slash art library (imagine working here!) stored with many amazing pieces of art. I would love to check this place and have a closer look - wouldn't you?
Photographs by Matthew Hranek via BA Reps.