All original work © Jason W. Wong. Please ask for permission to reproduce any work.

All original work © Jason W. Wong. Please ask for permission to reproduce any work.

Sunday, November 30, 2014

She's still preoccupied with 1985...

It's time for a big before-and-after that I've wanted to share for a while, but I was just waiting to have it professionally photographed first (thanks to the multi-talented Lauren Anderson who I met on a Homepolish project.)

My client inherited a condo from his parents that was used as a pied-a-terre for many years. Professionally decorated before, it hadn't changed since everything was originally installed. I was shocked at how well things were maintained--the wallpaper, the fixtures, the mirrors...everything was still in great condition with the exception of some carpet fading at the windows and sliding glass doors.

Funny enough, when I showed some "before" photos to some female friends, they actually all loved the "befores" (a testament to the original designer and the clients' tastes.) But when they found out my new client was a young, single man, their reaction changed instantly: "Oh no. You've got to change it. This isn't for a single guy at all."

So we butched it up. Here the Living Room before:

     

And the Living Room after:

 

 


The Entry before:
 

And the Entry after:


Dining alcove before (pink) and after (green):

    

Bathroom before (salmon wallpaper) and after (deep blue):

    

The Bedroom before:


 

And the Bedroom after:



Quite a change, eh? The thing my client couldn't get over was how so many things that his parents had picked before had come back in fashion: the chrome, the lighting, the mirrors, the plexiglass. It was a great savings, being able to simply reupholster a few things and reuse as much as possible. The organic wavy entry wallpaper (I think it's real Maya Romanoff) was our starting point and inspired me to find taupes and browns that could really feel masculine and warm. Keeping everything else calm and neutral (including black and white photography and a now-vintage Edward Fields rug) allows the few accessories (green pillows, a bold Navajo rug) to really pop.

This was one of the most fun projects ever!

Monday, November 10, 2014

French Kissing in the USA

Between work, other artistic endeavors, and trying to not work on Sundays (boundaries, people! Boundaries!) it's been hard keeping on the ol' blog. But at least I've had this topic in my editorial queue for a while.

When I was in London this past May, I saw these great chairs in a restaurant. I knew they were by some design icon, but I had forgotten who had originally designed them.

      

Now I know--they're the Les Arc chairs by Charlotte Perriand, a contemporary/colleague of Le Corbusier. Of course the restaurant chairs were probably a reproduction. There are affordable copies in many places, and I've even seen denim versions at Big Daddy Antiques in San Francisco. As you can see, the real deal (vintage, no less) can be pricey:


I love the stool version and wish I could get a pair of counter stools. Sigh...someday!