Inside a Designer’s Mind: Curating a Collection

Inside a Designer’s Mind | Curating a Collection

To finish our three-part discussion based on the inner workings of the designer’s mind, I’d like to touch on a philosophy that is very important to me… the curation of your interior collection.

Often in the U.S., we approach home design as a checklist to fill with new items just for the one-time use for this abode. Here I prefer thinking of our home’s interiors as a curation of items collected along the way, each with a story and a history. This teaches us to procure pieces with mindfulness and intention, and in such, creates meaningful interiors. 

Even for projects that require more items that perhaps my clients own, let’s look at how to add pieces with meaning and importance. Two ways to do so is to consider vintage pieces with history, and also to work with contemporary designers in purchasing quality, pieces with a pedigree that will stand the test of time. 

Let’s use the living room space at ICONIC HAUS as a design lab. There are so many aspects in this one massive room that can illustrate the concepts of a curated space to inspire your own home. 

Curated Collection

In planning this very large space, my goal was to layer the look for a sophisticated, yet casual gathering space, mixing styles, textures and periods. In my travels, I had seen and fallen for a Living Divani sectional a couple of years ago in Milano. This piece mimics the architectural forms of the home and was a perfect addition. While purchased for this space in particular, it’s good bones and design pedigree will allow it to transition to other homes wonderfully. When curating, you are not just filling a void, but you are adding to your collection, a collection that says something about you.

Exampling a room on how to do this, let’s consider the living room we recently completed for ICONIC HAUS. We used two Michel Arnoult chairs, which I think are amazing. They have this wonderful patina of the leather. They’re from the 1960s, so that makes them more than a half-century old. Michel was the first designer with the idea of self-assembly furniture. He’s a French designer by way of Brazil, and I think these are the kind of pieces that can always find a good spot in any home you own. They even have the branding mark on the leather patinated back, which makes them a really unique find indeed.

The other pieces with which I’m in love are the floor lamps. They’re Charles of Paris, and they are also a 1960s design. These particular ones were made in the 90s in all stainless steel, and I think they look absolutely spectacular, and will elevate any room lucky enough to be graced by the pair. 

Behind the lamps is one of my favorite artistic duos, the Fortoul Brothers, who are local to Phoenix, although the brothers work across the United States. In my humble opinion, their work is a great investment art piece. A wonderful statement is folded into their pieces. Here, this piece was commissioned for my design studio. The graphics represent the beauty created in collaboration of a team. When we see such pieces, we feel happy, and when we make spaces that are beautiful and resonate with our wishes and our loves, we create harmony and peace, elevating our day to day experience. 

I hope as I have shared with you this perspective from inside a designer’s mind, it has inspired you to think about your own homes and make it really cozy and wonderful for your families. 

Stay safe and healthy out there!