Features
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Tête-à-tête with Vyna St. Phard
Vyna St. Phard
Illustration: Damian DiCarloWhat inspires you in your work?
The obvious answer is nature. However, great design shouldn’t be overlooked. I’ve spent decades attending, and participating in high-end furniture fairs both in the US and abroad, observing people and the objects that affect their lives, and how they respond to them in the most meaningful way. Great design is a powerful tool, and so are places, photography, and the sheer beauty of nature. The eye is trained not only on the awesomeness of well-designed spaces, but it is also drawn to the importance of architecture, art, culture, travel, and fashion.
Do you often work with artists for your interior design projects?
Absolutely. An art-filled home is something that I value a great deal, and there are a lot of modern to contemporary artists that we collaborate with. Since we do a lot of customization for our private clients, working with artisans has proved quite advantageous because that allows me to design furniture pieces that are detailed oriented, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing.
How do you describe your style?
A mix of vintage design with an elegant laid-back feel. Don’t get me wrong, I love the extraordinary, however, ostentatious interiors are not what I am known for. I like the mid-twenty-century canon for the optimistic way it registers with people even in the 21st century. I constantly question, and see the value of why a curated style, textured fabrics, and wallpapers, mixing the high to mid-level designs bring out the best personality, emotion, and experience in a client’s home.
Since I know that you are bilingual in French, what’s your go-to French word(s) – if any?
The Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat … The most beautiful words in the French language.
This article originally appeared at www.vynastphard.com. -
MODERNISM IN DESIGN
MODERNISM IN DESIGN
Can modernism in design be reached by following the evolving landscapes of design gurus and social media influencers? It’s not for us to judge. So perhaps the even better question is: what is modernism in design?
Modernism in design is all about escaping the fripperies of old-world design. And by that, we mean pre-war design. The modernist approach is to constantly highlight the clean lines and functionality instead of the embellishments that exaggerate the form when it comes to decor. Following the philosophy of form and function is our approach to modernism in design.
A Parisian apartment, clad with Larsen textiles, while a Platner coffee table takes center stage. Photo courtesy: LARSEN 
Kurt Schwitters, Für Tillyr, 1923. Photo courtesy: CHRISTIE’S. 
Modernism in Art: Jean Arp, Reveil, 1938. Photo courtesy SOTHEBY’S. 
Modernism in Architecture: Montecito, California, 2014. 
Jean Royere, armchair, circa 1954. Photo courtesy: SOTHEBY’S.
This article originally appeared on MAISON VSP
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Storytelling: An interview with New York-based artist Victor-Raul Garcia
HIGH END WEEKLY™: What are your working process, the materials, and techniques that you use?
Victor-Raul Garcia VICTOR-RAUL GARCIA: I have to be in a good mood to work. There is no other way for me. Once the mood is confirmed, I first rifle through loads of visual stimuli for inspiration, such as editorial photography, antique portraits, club kid wear, etc. Next, I choose colors, whether it be acrylics, spray paint, or oil pastels. Then tools… the fun part! I mostly use palette knives, contractor tools, and squeegees, but I have also used swimming pool noodles, mops, and large drafting rulers. Finally comes the painting part. With iPod on full blast, I grab a tool in each hand and start doing backgrounds with fast and thick sweeps and mix colors as I’m doing that. Afterward, the painting tells me where to go, and that’s the last thing I remember. It’s true. Something leads my hand, and I get lost in the zone until the painting tells me it’s done. By the way, I never use a paintbrush (only for dotting “I’s” and crossing “T’s”!).
HIGH END WEEKLY™: Please share your thoughts about your color choices when it comes to your work.
VICTOR-RAUL GARCIA: Bold and vivid colors are the driving force to my color compulsion. Personally speaking, there is no better way to express passion, fury, delight, and confusion. There is no better rush than the release of dopamine while you create characters and personalities in color. We are all made up of powerful energy and a color spectrum of light, so I must consider those intensities when I give my paintings life.
Victor Garcia, Elvis, Vegas, ’71 HIGH END WEEKLY™: When you see an abstract work, whether it be landscapes or portraits, what speaks to you the most?
VICTOR-RAUL GARCIA: I would say the subject matter and balance. Whether explicit or implicit, I enjoy taking the work in as a whole objectively and then zooming in subjectively for this story’s source and underlying details. As for balance, I favor works that make sense and order out of chaos.
HIGH END WEEKLY™: Can you share some examples of the great masters of the past and how they inspired your artwork today?
VICTOR-RAUL GARCIA: Robert Rauschenberg, John Chamberlain, and Gilbert & George. The first is his understanding of the human condition and telling a story based on the complex layers of our thought processes, puzzle-solving and social conscience. Secondly, Mister Chamberlain literally bends reality and does so while taking recycling to the next level; each sculpture is a personality of its own. Finally, Gilbert & George – the dynamic duo’s firework display of color sets the tone on how storytelling can change our lives.
Victor Garcia, Givers and Takers, 2021 HIGH END WEEKLY™: Why do you think more and more people are collecting art, specifically abstract art, for their homes and as an investment for the future?
VICTOR-RAUL GARCIA: I will answer this question on my own reasons for painting abstractly. My childhood was very violent and menacing. I needed to escape the reality I was dealt with, find safety, hope, and a defense mechanism. I would scribble hard and wildly as a silent roar. Today I don’t have that anger or sense of trauma. BUT painting is still an outlet for me to express my multilayered self. So back to the question, I believe people need that same sort of emotional release with visual stimuli since nothing is static anymore. When Kandinsky pioneered abstract painting over a century ago, it observed how people felt during the dawn of modern technology. Fast forward now, and we are on system overdrive. We are bombarded with information, fast deadlines, and quotas and produce, produce, produce. Most people favor abstract art over representational art because it taps into their emotional time bombs, and they can see everything they feel. I believe abstract art makes a personal connection and justification for the viewer for all that is non-physical in their day-to-day lives while being transported to another reality.
HIGH END WEEKLY™: Which of the pieces in your latest body of work are you most proud of?
VICTOR-RAUL GARCIA: This will sound like a total contradiction after having confessed to my obsession with color, but I would have to say my large-scale black/white painting titled “Come out, Come out, Wherever you are” from the summer of 2020. It depicts a god-like creature wreaking havoc with floods and storms, leaving one structure intact. This leviathan represents all the unknown, the invisible, and the intangible that the pandemic was and still is for us. Personally, the pandemic triggered many a term from my former Catholic faith, such as plague, punishment, judgment, firstborn, personal demons, etc. The house left standing represents the force field in which I surround myself daily to deflect doubts, fears, thoughts of helplessness, and bad neighborhoods in my mind. While the pandemic has battered me emotionally and psychologically, in the end, my hope, resilience, and need for an appreciation of the simpler things in life was reinvigorated.
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Insider view of the 2020 Kips Bay Designer Showhouse in Dallas
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It’s all in the details folks!
Say hello to our updated website Vyna St. Phard Interiors had a facelift!
Take a look inside of our new features, which include a complete list of our services,
and news of our upcoming online store, WOODLOSOPHY.
Cheers to the weekend!
VSP
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How to Prep for the Perfect Picnic
Hyland Park, Dallas, TX, June 2020 Since the heat has been getting higher and higher in Dallas, during the last few days, I can safely say that summer is well and truly here. While enjoying the longer days that this season has to offer, I started to entertain a few ideas on how to plan for the perfect picnic.
For The Love of Nature
When I was single, I enjoyed planning elaborate picnics with menus that were a feast to behold. Nowadays, I love the chic and simple picnics. Whether I am with my husband or joined by a few friends with bags of salads, plates, silverware, and beverages we can all enjoy, I found that a picnic is a good time to put down the phone, take out the earbuds, and have some of the best conversations of my life, while surrounded by nature.
The Importance of a Picnic
Giving the sudden shift that came with the global pandemic, now more than ever, we see the benefits of spending time outdoors – yes, picnicking can possibly improve our physical health. Breathing in fresh air is beneficial for respiratory problems like asthma. And just think, a lovely picnic on a bright summer day also aids in vitamin D and calcium absorption. Who doesn’t need that?
What sort of food should you pack for a picnic? Prepping for a successful picnic should take little time and effort. You can obviously make it as fancy as you’d like, but the importance of keeping things simple is a good start for an effective picnic on the lawn. Besides packing a light fare, don’t forget some fresh fruits, your favorite desserts, and of course, the champagne! Adding some activity, like a board game, a great book to the mix or some of your favorite sport will work up your appetite. For my picnics, I like to serve sandwiches, French pâtés, salads, Scotch eggs – all the finger foods that travel well. Some of my friends prefer baguettes with salami, spinach, basil, pesto, and mozzarella for a mouthwatering bite.
Whatever sorts of picnic you choose, remember to make it as special as possible, as memorable as you can, and keep it safe.
Vyna St Phard’s Picnic Essentials -
8 Best New Hotels in New York City
NoMad New York City, New York indoor Living room ceiling interior design furniture café living room restaurant Lobby window interior designer area wood.
THIS STORY ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON www.jetsetter.com.
WRITTEN BY SIOBHAN REID
8 Best New Hotels in New York City
The hottest new hotels in NYC offer everything from nightclubs to celeb chef restaurants and private art collections. Read on to find which ones we’re checking into this summer.
Photos courtesy of MADEMADE
In September, the NoMad district will see yet another hotel opening with the debut of MADE, the first hotel project by hospitality entrepreneur Sam Gelin. LA-based design studio MAI is behind the earthy-meets-modern interiors—all hand-carved benches, polished stainless steel surfaces, exposed bronze light fixtures, and hand-woven fabrics. And the bold look extends to the 108 guestrooms, which have concrete and wood surfaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, and bathrooms with hand-painted wall tiles and carved stone sinks. A lobby bar pours espresso drinks during the day and cocktails at night, and there’s also a restaurant and rooftop slated to open early fall.
The James New York – NoMadNoMad’s culinary scene will only get hotter when The James New York-NoMad officially opens this fall, inside a historic Beaux-Arts building on Madison and 29th Street. The luxury 344-room hotel will be the site of award-winning restaurant Scarpetta—which is known for inventive, seasonally-driven fare and unmatched service— along with a soon-to-be-announced cocktail bar concept. Upstairs, guestrooms feel like urban sanctuaries, thanks to expansive glass windows, contemporary art by local artists, spacious bathrooms, and thoughtful details like yoga mats and in-room pantry filled with local snacks.
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The World’s Best-Designed Hotels
The Beekman | New York City This story originally appeared in Tablet MagazineThe Power of Interior Design, Part 1
Hotels aren’t as simple as they used to be. No longer just places to sleep, the best have evolved into works of art — performance spaces that allow guests to star in their own sort of theatrical production. And nothing sets this scene like the exceptional interior design, where every inch is carefully considered and each element works toward a theme that offers a thorough departure from the outside world. It’s a chance to try on a whole different life, and in this series we’ll examine hotels that provide the greatest escape.
PART 1: THE PAST OR THE FUTURE?
Historical DramaWe start with the period pieces. Some designers are aces at turning back the clock and infusing their creations with the atmosphere of days gone by. These six hotels take you back to an idealized version of hospitality history, but with a present-day energy that ensures things don’t get stale.
The Beekman | New York City
Soprarno Suites | Florence, Italy
G-Rough | Rome, Italy
When you enter The Beekman, you enter a different time and place. This is an 1881-vintage skyscraper from the days when a skyscraper meant nine stories of terraced red brick and a towering central atrium. It’s a sort of Wes Anderson version of prewar Manhattan, full of historical resonance but viewed through a contemporary lens.
The weight of history is similarly lightened at Soprarno Suites in Florence, too — the hoteliers stocked a 16th-century villa with contemporary designer furniture and modern art — and at Rome’s G-Rough, a 17th-century villa with just a slight patina of decay, freshened up with design-museum-quality furniture from the Thirties, Forties and Fifties.
Maison Soquet | Paris, France
The Battery | San Francisco, California
No less devoted to its history is the decadent Maison Soquet in Paris. The Pigalle district’s “pleasure houses” were more or less exactly what they sound like, and this one, even after a makeover by Jacques Garcia, leans all the way in to the overt sexiness of its concept. It’s not hard to imagine the aristocratic debauchery that once took place here.
Though it’s not strictly a reconstruction of something historical, The Battery, in San Francisco, indulges in another somewhat nostalgic concept: the member’s club. Except this private hangout only requires you book a room to gain admission. And you’ll definitely want to — the vibe is dark, moody, and bohemian, with a sense of slightly old-fashioned decorum.
Dunton Hot Springs | Dolores, Colorado
From here you’re guaranteed to be transported to the Old West. A one-time prospector’s camp, Dunton Hot Springs is a bit more upscale in its new incarnation — though it’s still possible to get some serious ghost-town vibes as you stroll from cabin to cabin, immersing yourself in the intensely cozy interiors.
Modernist StagecraftAround the middle of the last century, design took on an added significance; no longer just ornament, it was an expression of the possibility of a better future. Now modernist design feels like something from an alternate universe — and these six hotels give you the chance to live there.
The Maritime | New York City
Villa La Coste | Provence, France
Though the seafaring vibe is an obvious overtone at The Maritime Hotel, it’s perhaps more reminiscent of the slightly utopian era of mid-20th-century modernism, when the new forms were replacing the old and it felt as though just about anything might be possible.
You’ll find a similar excitement at Villa La Coste, though it’s produced via very different means — if living on the grounds of a 17th-century Provençal farmhouse weren’t fantasy enough, you’ll find yourself surrounded by modernist furnishings and contemporary architecture by the likes of Frank Gehry, Oscar Niemeyer, and Tadao Ando.
Il Sereno | Lake Como, Italy
Katamama | Seminyak, Bali
Rising up on the shores of Lake Como, where stately old villas are the luxury norm, Il Sereno sets itself apart with striking interiors by the Milan-based designer Patricia Urquiola, and features a mix of minimalist chic and futuristic whimsy.
Also playing against type is Katamama, in Bali, a beach hotel built almost entirely by local artisans, whose traditional craftsmanship sets the stage for a lovely collection of historically significant modernist furniture.
Downtown Mexico | Mexico City
South Congress Hotel | Austin, Texas
Sometimes a place comes with so much history of its own, the best thing for a designer to do is to strike a contrasting note. The ancient stone walls at Downtown Mexico contrast as starkly as possible with its ultra-minimalist décor and furnishings, and in the space between those two extremes, something deeply memorable is created.
Meanwhile, the South Congress Hotel in Austin puts forth a version of Texas that’s almost futuristic, but no less warm or organic for it — a place where modernist design and architectural minimalism combine to reveal a more cosmopolitan version of life in the Lone Star State.
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The Endless Influence of The Bauhaus Movement
Germany’s Bauhaus Archiv is presenting ‘greatest hits’ from the world’s biggest Bauhaus collection while it undergoes renovation (Credit: Schöning/Ullstein Bild/Getty)
Here in Berlin, Germany’s Bauhaus Archiv is throwing a farewell party. Next year this museum will close for renovation, and until then it’s presenting a display of ‘greatest hits’ from the world’s biggest Bauhaus collection. From furniture and posters to crockery and cutlery, these exquisite objects show how the Bauhaus school shaped our idea of good design.
For most of us, the word Bauhaus conjures up a certain type of modern architecture – that stark aesthetic that spawned a million tower blocks. But the Bauhaus was much more than an architectural style – it was a new way of thinking, and a century since it was born, at the end of World War One, its ideas still set the pattern for the way we live today.
The Bauhaus was founded in 1919 in the German city of Weimar, by a Prussian architect called Walter Gropius. No architecture was taught here. It was a sort of art school, but one like no other. Instead of drawing nudes and still lives, students here were taught to look at the world around them in an entirely different way.
There is no essential difference between the artist and the craftsman – Walter Gropius
Bauhaus means ‘building house’ but Gropius didn’t want to build only houses. He wanted to create a new breed of artists, who could turn their hands to anything. Traditional art schools were conservative and elitist. Technical colleges were dreary and conventional. Gropius broke down the barrier between fine art and applied arts.
The Bauhaus was founded in 1919 in the German city of Weimar by Prussian Walter Gropius, pictured right (Credit: Keystone Pictures/Alamy)
“There is no essential difference between the artist and the craftsman,” he said. Pupils learned pottery, printmaking, book-binding, and carpentry. They studied typography and advertising. They went back to basics, and began again with fresh eyes.
“An object is defined by its nature,” announced Gropius. “In order to design it to function properly, one must first of all study its nature. For it to serve its purpose perfectly, it must fulfil its function in a practical way.” Instead of sitting in stuffy classrooms listening to lectures, students were assigned to workshops. They learned on the job.
Nature of objects
The results were extraordinary. The Bauhaus produced an incredible array of artifacts, from angle poise lamps to chess sets, all distinguished by their functional and elegant construction. They were simple and useful, and their simplicity made them beautiful. In an era of ornamentation, their streamlined appearance was revolutionary. This was a new age of design.
From chess sets to this ashtray by Marianne Brandt, the Bauhaus inspired many designs beyond architecture (Credit: Gunter Lepkowski/Bauhaus Archiv/VG Bild-Kunst)
“Bauhaus workshops are laboratories in which prototypes of products suitable for mass production are carefully developed and continually improved,” declared Gropius. “In these laboratories, the Bauhaus will train and educate a new type of worker for craft and industry, who has an equal command of both technology and form.”
An object is defined by its nature – Walter Gropius
Not everyone shared his vision. In local elections in 1924, the liberals who had supported the Bauhaus were defeated, and the new conservative government cut off the school’s funding. On 1 April 1925, exactly six years after it opened, the Bauhaus was forced to close.
An original desk lamp by Wilhelm Wagenfeld, an iconic Bauhaus design, sits next to a modern replica in Germany’s Bundeskunsthalle museum last year (Credit: Oliver Berg/DPA/Alamy)
Yet by now, the word about the Bauhaus had spread way beyond Weimar, and another German city, Dessau, gave it a new home. The local government commissioned a spectacular new building, designed by Gropius. It was here that the Bauhaus came of age.
A new home
In Dessau, Gropius started teaching architecture, but he added other genres too. There were workshops devoted to weaving, metalwork, photography and stage design. Gropius left in 1928 to resume his career as an architect, but under a new director, Hannes Meyer, the school went from strength to strength. Bauhaus wallpaper became the school’s bestselling product. At last, there was an art school which could actually pay its way.
In Tel Aviv, the White City is a collection of over 4,000 buildings built from the 1930s in the Bauhaus style by German Jewish immigrants (Credit: IAISI/Getty)
But German politics was polarizing, and support for the Nazis was growing. In 1930 Dessau’s city council dismissed Meyer on account of his “communist tendencies,” and in 1931 the Nazis won the local elections, having promised to close the Bauhaus (they called it “cultural bolshevism”). Thankfully Gropius’s building survived and still stands there today, but the students and teachers were forced to flee. They found a new home in an old factory in Berlin, under their new director, the brilliant architect Mies van der Rohe, but in 1933 Hitler came to power and shut the Bauhaus down.
After the original Bauhaus was forced to close, the German city of Dessau gave it a new home, in the form of a building designed by Gropius (Credit: Iain Masterton/Getty)
A modern threat
Why did the Nazis feel so threatened by the Bauhaus? Why were they so scared of an art school that made modernist furniture and kitchenware? Because it represented a worldview which was the complete opposite of National Socialism.
Nazism was nostalgic and nationalistic. The Bauhaus was cosmopolitan and avant-garde. Its international ethos made a mockery of Hitler’s racist fantasies. In a way, the persecution of the Bauhaus by the Nazis was a (very) backhanded compliment. They hated everything it stood for, but they were fearful of its power.
A visitor looks at tables and chairs on display at the ‘Bauhaus Art as Life’ exhibition in London, 2012 (Credit: Fred Duval/WireImage)
Ironically, it was this persecution of the Bauhaus which ensured its survival. Had it been embraced by the Third Reich, it would have perished with it. Driven into exile, its philosophy spread around the globe. Gropius and Mies van der Rohe went to America, where they were joined by Bauhaus teachers such as Josef Albers, Herbert Bayer, Walter Peterhaus and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. In 1937, Moholy-Nagy founded the ‘New Bauhaus’ in Chicago. In 1938, New York’s Museum of Modern Art staged a blockbuster Bauhaus exhibition. Bauhaus style was here to stay.
The true measure of its immense influence is how familiar it has become
But what exactly is Bauhaus style? Like all design classics, you know it when you see it, but Mies van der Rohe’s motto, ‘Less is More,’ is a good place to start (‘chuck out the chintz’ is just as good). Form follows function. Each element is stripped down to its bare essentials. Everything is fit for purpose. The result is austere, but strangely pleasing on the eye.
The influence of the Bauhaus is ubiquitous even today, as is evident in a modern-day apartment in London’s Barbican Estate (Credit: Robert Oliver/ArcaidImages)
Yet the true measure of its immense influence is how familiar it has become. Wandering around the Bauhaus Archiv (a futuristic building designed by Gropius, and eventually built after his death) the exhibits here seem so contemporary. It’s only when you read the labels that you realise they are nearly a hundred years old. Once a radical revolt against the status quo, Bauhaus style has become the new normal. And by becoming ubiquitous, it has disappeared – into the décor of our daily lives.
Bauhaus in Motion is at the Bauhaus Archiv, Berlin until 8 January 2018. New Bauhaus Chicago: Experiment Photography is at the Bauhaus Archiv from 15 November 2017 to 5 March 2018.
This article was written by William Cook. It originally appeared on www.bbc.com. All rights reserved.
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Designer’s Top Picks from The Salon Art + Design
The Salon Art + Design 2017 Luxury pillow designer Cynthia Murphy’s Top Picks from the opening night preview of the annual Salon Art + Design where she enjoyed an amazing display of the crème de la crème furniture and fine arts from well over 50 galleries that hailed from 11 countries. Above is a sneak peek of some of her top picks from the much talked about furniture fair from the beautiful Park Avenue Armory.
The Salon Art + Design Fair 2017 Fun Facts About The Designer: Cynthia Murphy’s eye for beauty, and her appreciation for how different cultures develop their stylistic approach and techniques, has driven her to collect textiles on a global basis. Within each piece, she recognizes social influences— fashion, ritual, symbolism, status, honor— that go beyond aesthetics and deepen the cultural connection. This extra dimension beyond beauty fuels Cynthia’s true passion for collecting. She first selected rich, intricate, 18th and 19th-century embroideries and brocades from France, England, and Italy. Then, as her curiosity was piqued, she added Asian needlework, Turkish weaving, and Persian silks. Cynthia’s special interest in Art Deco and Arts & Crafts design expanded the scope of her collection.
