You will see in this holiday post the predictable color of
red looming large, although the photographs are not typical
Christmas.
I was thinking about what I've learned this year and one
thing I know for certain is that the right color and the right amount of it balances the art of design.
Red, for that matter, seems to be about as dynamic as one can get but how it’s introduced is so important. It occurred to me that
it’s kind of like life. You need to know how much to say, when to
intervene, when to let things ride, when to be strong, yet exercise grace
and manners. I am having such a wonderful time with the595project and
with my incredible clients. Going forward, I hope to continue to allow
the “RED” in me develop and explore the gift of making homes
beautiful.
I hope you all find this post inspiring. Merry
“RED”
"Red is the great clarifier-bright and revealing. It would be like becoming bored with the person you love."
My husband and I are lucky enough to have a cabin in the
mountains. With the holidays approaching, it felt like the perfect time
to write about how important a cabin can be and what it can teach
you. Once you arrive in the mountains to our cabin, the adjustment is
easy and natural. I know for me, I can feel myself morph to a place, where in my mind, I know I can do with a lot less. I can chop, rake,
labor, cook and adjust to life that seems very simple. Our cabin doesn't have a heat source other than a pellet stove. This time of year, when it's so cold we have a process that we do together to
get the old girl going! Turn on the water at the pump house, open everything up, fire up the stove and if we did it correctly when we left the last
time, all will be good.
I was inspired by the words of Henry David Thoreau as
he wrote about his sojourn to Walden Pond, the cabin where he lived for over
two years starting in 1854. The experience he found to be fundamental to his
soul and the awakening of his capabilities to live a different life.
"I went to the woods because I wished to live
deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not
learn what it had to teach, and not, when I come to die, discover that I had
not lived." Henry David Thoreau
Cabins have really changed and there are some impressively
creative people designing structures that you won’t believe but I bet most of the
goals are the same for all of their clients. A place to rest, congregate,
rejuvenate and reflect on life, while, tasting of the bounty! Where ever you
are for Thanksgiving, may it be any or all of the aforementioned.
Our Mountain Cabin...
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see”
I surprised myself when I started writing about Pierre
Paulin. As I researched his past, I started to feel a
similarity between Pierre and my father in terms of accolades and undue
applause. Pierre, as you will read, had a very humble perspective
regarding his acknowledgements. The design world gave him many highly coveted awards but he felt it was just what you do when you are asked to do your
job. My father was the master of sincerity and took very
little time to talk about himself. He, like Pierre, was very careful to
keep his feet on the ground. Pierre’s talent took hold and he truly
had a vision and an important contribution to the modern design aesthetic.
Read on!
“A chair should be more than simply functional. It
should be friendly, fun and colorful”.
Born in Paris in 1927, Pierre Paulin grew up in Laon, which
is in Northern France. His uncle, Georgis Paulin, had a huge influence on him. Georgis designed cars for Panhard, Peugeot and Rolls-Royce
Bentley and in fact, he designed the first power-operated retractable hardtop
in 1931.
The early years for Pierre were challenging and he had many
setbacks. First, he failed his baccalaureate and as a result, he
decided his next step would be to enter in to training as a ceramist and a
stone carver. All of this ended due to an injury to his arm so he
then began his studies at Ecole Camondo in Paris. There, his admiration
and appreciation grew for Scandinavian and Japanese Design. Later, he
then found immense respect for American designers, Charles and Ray Eames,
Florence Knoll, Herman Miller and George Nelson. In 1954 he began working
for Thonet and had the opportunity to experiment with using swimwear materials
stretched over traditional chair frames. The real breakthrough came in
1960 when he designed the Mushroom chair while working for Dutch manufacturer
Artifort. The design of Pierre's “Tongue” chair didn’t sit well (pardon the
pun!) with Artiforts boss Harry Wagemans. Pierre argued, “I am trying to
appeal to the young people”. In 1968 he was proven correct when
Harry’s son fell in love with the chair design. After that response, the
chair was off to production!
Pierre Paulin’s career accelerated and many awards and recognition followed, including the 1969 Chicago Design Award for his Ribbon
Chair. Time also brought him many prestigious interior design
assignments. Although he was applauded, he remained modest.
He is quoted as saying, “It’s extremely dangerous to give too much importance
and status to people who are only doing their job. Working for the
enjoyment of the greatest number is very gratifying, much more so than any
official honor”.
He continued to design for many years and even in to his
retirement he came up with new inventive designs. Pierre Paulin died,
June 13th, 2009.
