What distinguishes a design as iconic, rather than simply in vogue? Expert craftsmanship, understated elegance, materials that age beautifully. Truly iconic designs are those that withstand the test of time, both artistically and physically.
In other words, they become structural achievements unto themselves.
The description applies equally well to design icons from every era. Take the TWA Hotel in New York City, whose singular thin-shell construction still looms as a simultaneous emblem of the past, present, and future of American architecture.
Or, as the latest example, the VOLVO XC60 BLACK EDITION, which, secure upon the Swedish automaker's storied foundation of safety and innovation, asserts itself in a striking Onyx Black that's daringly original without veering into the ostentatious.
Across design mediums, the boldest artists of each generation have found themselves repeatedly drawn to black-on-black palettes as an opportunity to accentuate shapes, shadows, and form. While bright colors can distract from poor design, black-on-black requires a foundational assuredness. But it's not merely a matter of cloaking oneself in darkness and calling it a day; each choice, from the specific shade and finish of black to the materials used, requires careful consideration.
Bu hikaye Elle Decor US dergisinin September 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Elle Decor US dergisinin September 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
And How! - Decorator Nick Olsen transforms a Sag Harbor home into a Hamptons retreat with an irreverent humor.
If you must go to the Hamptons, however-because it is devilishly good fun, after all-you may notice an apparently modest, low-slung cottage on Sag Harbor's Main Street and think, with a comfortable sort of feeling, Now that is how a house should look. Nestled amid the Botox bars, helipads, and club-staurants, it could almost set the sordid world aright both a rebuke and a solution to the chaos that surrounds it. A real home.
You Stay Here
At a Martha's Vineyard compound, Steven Gambrel and Tom Kligerman have made a guest retreat so good, visitors may never want to leave.
WHAT'S IN THE MIX?
Rayman Boozer brings his mastery of color and pattern to the renovation of a Harlem duplex for a young family.
THE EMPIRE
A 19th-century gem in Cambridge, Massachusetts, gets a tour-de-force restoration thanks to Frances Merrill of Reath Design.
Now You See It
A modernist beach house's discreet profile hides killer views and knockout interiors by Rafael de Cárdenas.
CIRCLE D'AMOUR
For an object lesson on how to design a Paris love nest, look to Pierre Yovanovitch.
PARK AND RECREATIONS
With the rise of electric vehicles and a fresh focus on design, the once overlooked garage is becoming a future-forward source of joy and energy at home.
Just Like That, But Cheaper
One writer tried to replicate a classic ELLE DECOR interior in his apartment. Could he do it for $500?
But This is My Home - One writer discovers that living in an architectural icon can be a blessing and a curse.
One writer discovers that living in an architectural icon can be a blessing and a curse. My husband and I moved into the Kallis House in Los Angeles six years ago. It was designed in 1946 by the modernist architect Rudolph Schindler, and it's believed by many, including Frank Gehry, to be among Schindler's best. The house is eccentric, perched on the lip of a hill, with a butterfly roof and a shaggy exterior made of grape stakes. The interior is an unfolding series of surprising angles, with a wonderful wide view of the San Fernando Valley.
A SISTER STORY
Jewelry designer Brent Neale Winston and her decorator sibling, Ramsey Lyons, recast a historic Long Island home.