“I have no specific style or period that I am especially fond of…I am enamoured with immense rooms, partly because I pride myself on knowing how to bring together immensity and comfort. Most people are afraid of houses on a grand scale, but I’ve always been completely at home in them.” – Alberto Pinto
One of the most special opportunities we have worked on this year was designing a window at the Janet Yonaty showroom for the LCDQ’s Legends event that took place this past week. Every May, the design community descends on Los Angeles for three days of inspiration. Forty interior designers are invited to design showroom windows inspired by this year’s theme: Legendary: Icons of Design presenting their homages to legendary interior designers of the past. We were VERY pleasantly surprised to WIN the contest for “Favorite Window!” Heartfelt thanks to everyone who voted for us and to all of the amazing vendors, artists, and craftsmen (listed below) that brought our vision to life. A special thank you to Tamar Mashigian for inviting us to participate in this incredible event!
Inspired by the enchanting exoticism of the Orient, my window is an homage to Alberto Pinto, the master of converging cultural aesthetics. Turkish Iznik patterns and Syrian inlaid pieces blend with Moroccan and Indian motifs in exuberant colors revealing how all cultures can harmoniously coexist.
The backdrop for the window was custom colored in Turkey by Iksel Decorative Arts to blend with the gorgeous hand-blocked textiles by Schuyler Samperton found at Hollywood at Home. Kravet provided richly colored velvet and mohair for the settee and ottomans. Janet Yonaty provided the accessories and the Syrian inlaid mirror, wedding chest and chair were generously loaned by Alkhayat Furniture. I found the finishing touches on a recent trip to Morocco that involved much haggling and negotiating including getting the pottery brought down from a Berber village in the Atlas Mountains on the back of a donkey!
I have admired the work of Alberto Pinto for as long as I can remember. Born in Casablanca, Pinto’s work was incredibly diverse ranging from very formally classic to ultra modern. I became enchanted by “Orientalist” period and used that as my inspiration for the window.
ABOUT ALBERTO PINTO (VIA WWD)
Born in 1943 in Casablanca, Pinto spent his childhood in Morocco. His tours across Europe and the rest of the world with globe-trotting parents would influence Pinto’s exotic, global design vision later in life. In the Sixties in New York, he began working on interior design stories for Condé Nast, where he was introduced to avant-garde decorative arts, inspiring Pinto to experiment with varied and elaborate interiors within his own apartment.
Pinto founded a design studio in Paris in 1971. Viewing each project as a unique and global creation, he became one of the most cosmopolitan and worldly of French decorators, favoring Orientalist styles and pattern play.Within his studio, Pinto surrounded himself with numerous artisans and collaborators, promoting a hyper-detail-oriented work ethic and putting colors and art at the epicenter of daily life. This ethos garnered him a variety of luxury commissions, ranging from bespoke airplanes and private yachts to luxury hotels across the world, notably the private salons of France’s Elysée Palace.
SOURCES
JANET YONATY : Accessories
HOLLYWOOD AT HOME: Hand blocked fabrics by Schuyler Samperton
CIRCA LIGHTING: Floor lamps
IKSEL DECORATIVE ARTS: Wallcovering
KRAVET: Settee velvet, Ottoman mohair
ALKAYET FINE ART FURNITURE: Mirror, wedding chest and chair
FLORAL DESIGN: The Empty Vase
PHOTOGRAPHY: Meghan Beirle
CONSTRUCTION: Carlos Rittner and Team/ C.R. Creative Services
CATHERINE M. AUSTIN INTERIOR DESIGNS: Settee, Pottery, Moroccan Rug, Turkish Pillows
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