Stories On Design // Illustrated Interiors.

Interiors are like people – they have their own personalities, their own strengths and weaknesses, confidence and insecurities. Just like people, there are times when we need our interiors to take a back seat, be quiet and just chill with us… Other times we want something completely different, which is what this Story on Design is all about – Illustrated Interiors. No, not illustrations of interiors, but rather interiors which have had illustrations, drawings, murals, graffiti, paste-ups, special wallpaper and the like applied to them, rendering these spaces with exciting and dynamic qualities.

In contrast to the interiors from our recent story that celebrates The Art of Giving Good White, these spaces display confidence very differently. Some are loud and proud, others remain more demure in their approach, but all of them take a strong stand. The art that’s applied on these walls (floor and ceilings) gives the spaces their own stamp; their own unique personality. As a lover of pattern and colour, these high-octane interiors excite me very much. Not only this – some of these little babies are very special and luxurious, while others are examples of clever tricks that can be employed to elevate the mundane to extraordinary. What I’m most excited about however is the sweet-spot where art, interiors and architecture cross over so beautifully, each discipline making the other stronger. Oh yes, I’ll drink to that. So what if it’s only 6am?

See More ‘Stories on Design’ Curated by Yellowtrace.

Photography by Evan Joseph.

Mural by Pablo Piatti at BOFFO Show House // Over 100 artists and designers came together to create the Boffo Show House, a temporary installation curated by artist Andrew Yes in the Madison Jackson building on New York’s Lower East Side. The Argentinian-born Antwerp-based artist Pablo Piatti presented a large mural full of exotic birds and plants, printed in collaboration with Trestintas Barcelona. Wowzer!

Photography by Marco Pinarelli.

Liza Beirut Restaurant Designed by Marc Soughayar & Maria Ousseimi // The opulent interior is inspired by the floors of the 19th-century palace with a subtle mix of modern furnishings and lighting. Alongside the backdrop of creamy neutral tones, the walls are covered with Arjumand wallpapers, resulting in the creation of 4 distinctive themes – there are huge lush banana leaves to give the restaurant an exotic presence, large money notes inspired by the country’s former currency, and skyscrapers which form a chic backdrop for the contemporary furniture.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Margherita Spiluttini.

Gartenpavillon Stift Melk Wall Murals by Johann W. Bergl // The garden pavilion served as a place of relaxation for the monks in the Baroque era. With a great amount of fantasy, Johann W. Bergl created the Baroque frescoes with exotic animals and plants, jungles and native people – an exotic place which invites you to linger.

Arroyo Hotel by The Wow Factor & FG Arquitectos // Just a leisurely promenade from the notable Plaza San Martin is an ’80s building which has undergone a radical overhaul courtesy of The Wow Factor and FG Arquitectos. The public spaces is lively and vibrant due to an abundance of plants, natural materials and the work of local artists including Eloísa Ballivian, responsible for the arresting 10 metre hand-painted mural in the main bar which took two months to complete.

Bar Palladio in Jaipur, India // Bar Palladio is a European style bar set inside one of Jaipur’s most historic hotels – the Narain Niwas Palace. The interior was designed by Marie-Anne Oudejans who attempted to create an unlikely combination and an interesting aesthetic by merging the Italian and Indian traditions in a singe space.

Photo by Martina Gemmola.

Uncle St Kilda in Melbourne by Foolscap Studio // Foolscap Studio based this interior on the Wu Xing philosophy, balancing elements of wood, metal, fire, water and earth.

Drygate Brewery in Glasgow // A joint venture from Tennent’s owners C&C Group and Alloa independent brewery Williams Bros, has followed a similar path by inviting Glasgow School of Art alumni to create a range of artwork that will appear on the interior and labels of its core range of beers. The brief offered to the GSA alumni focused on collaboration, with artists being asked to draw inspiration from the ingredients, the brewery and the location.

‘The Glasgow Print Studio exhibition gives people an insight into what Drygate is hoping to achieve – open doors, open minds, working together to create something truly exceptional. This collaboration is the first of many exciting things to come – creativity will be at the heart of everything we do at Drygate…’ explains company’s Managing Director, Scott Williams.

Photo by Kasia Gatkowska.

JWT Amsterdam by Alrik Koudenburg & RJW Elsinga // JWT Amsterdam, a historic advertising firm located in a building on bustling Leidseplein, has revealed a technicolour office makeover courtesy of Alrik Koudenburg and RJW Elsinga. Together the duo worked on creating a stunning space of nearly 2000sq meters, almost all custom-designed. The interior WOW effect, is created with bold graphics, including logos per department and a variety of unique furniture.

Photo by Julie Ansiau.

A+A Cooren Bien Fait Wallpaper Showroom // Founder Cécile Figuette (ex-Minakani Lab) has imagined a wallpaper dream world with subtle mixes of colourful geometry, mysterious panoramic visions and reminiscences of childhood memories. To orchestrate the collection presentation, Cécile entrusted French-Japanese design duet A+A Cooren with designing the brand’s newly-launched showroom – a multi-purpose space encompassing a meeting area, a work studio and a creative workshop.

Images via JaguarShoes Collective.

RGB – The Black Series by Carnovsky // This type of work employs an RGB technique where Carnovsky overlap three primary colour images resulting in a super intricate multilayered print. When either Red, Green or Blue coloured filter is placed over these surfaces a different image is revealed. Insane! These images are of their first UK exhibition at DreamBagsJaguarShoes exploring the topic of ‘Jungle’.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Selfridges International Customer Services Luxury Lounge by Waldo Works // Selfridges‘ a new Customer Services space caters to the needs of tax-free shopping customers. The overall style was inspired by the fashionable Palm Court restaurant, famously Selfridges’ first ever restaurant, renown for its lush tropical decor, partly destroyed by fire in the 1940s.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Images via nytimes.com

Shantell Martin’s Illustrated Apartment in Brooklyn // Shantell Martin is a London-born, Brooklyn-based visual artist. This is her apartment in Brooklyn. Yes, she drew all over the walls and ceilings. Lucky she rents this place from her friends who gave her the permission to draw freely.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Leo Burnett Singapore Office by Ministry of Design // Singapore-based Ministry of Design are responsible for this iconic office interior for Leo Burnett advertising agency that features a drawing of the company’s founder spread across the walls and floor, wielding a scaled-up model of a pencil. Ridiculously awesome, even after all these years!

Photo by Penny Lane.

Gordon Street Garage in Perth by Foolscap Studio // The reuse of a West Perth garage by Foolscap Studio has merged it’s inherent industrial qualities with European ideals of the home, in an energetic, intimate interior. The designers were careful to retain indications of these previous uses, a layering of functional narratives interpreted through design.

Photo © Nick Hughes.

Fred International Sydney Showroom by Yellowtrace // Fred International is a Scandinavian furniture import business, with a Sydney showroom in Rosebery, designed by Studio Yellowtrace. Hooray! The super fun custom black dot wall decal was designed by War Design.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photo by Katherine Lu.

Photo by Fiona Susanto.

KE-ZU Showroom Installation by Yellowtrace for Sydney Indesign 2013 // Our installation for KE-ZU was part of Sydney Indesign’s The Project, a concept first introduced in 2008 as a means of heightening creative interaction between suppliers, retailers, designers and event-goers.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

New York Ace Hotel // Ace Hotels really do live up to their name. Each one has a unique style, a fascinating history, and an Ace Philosophy at its heart. Unique to Ace New York is the art work throughout the guest rooms and common areas that were created by young and emerging as well as established artists such as Michael Anderson, Greg Lamarche and Mike Perry, among many more. Ace Hotel New York is designed by Roman and Williams and opened in 2009.

London, Shoreditch Ace Hotel // The Hotel reflects this rich, “cosmopolitan yet historic character” with a wide range of design influences from clean Modernism to UK punk, bold graphics of the early 20th century Vorticist movement. London Shoreditch was designed by Universal Design Studio and opened in 2013.

Portland Ace Hotel //As an artistically emerging neighbourhood, the hotel has a decidedly creative feel, drawing on local, as well as international, musicians and artists for its influence as well as specific work such as murals in and around the hotel.

Read the full article about these projects & see more images here.

Images courtesy of Press Office.

Chess Hotel Paris by Gilles & Boissier // Four stars. Fifty rooms. Eleven on each differently coloured floor, ranging from beautifully coloured clay, mustard hues and three shades of blue. All different and all calm. The Chess Hotel in Paris takes trends one step further by an unexpected sideways move.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Fancy Nance Salon by Studio Tate // Famingo tea parties and baguette-shaped lounges are among the quirky design features of Adriano Zumbo‘s new salon, Fancy Nance. This myriad of aesthetic considerations and influences is tied together in collaboration with local graffiti artist Daniel Wenn, whose illustrations of the Mad Hatter’s tea party have been populated by flamingos. These murals are painted on the low dividing walls that separate the coffee and macaron wonderland from Fancy Nance’s nighttime bar area.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Images via The Sartorialist.

Letman and Gijs Frieling for Dries van Noten Menswear Fall 2012 // At the Dries van Noten menswear fashion show at the Grand Palais in Paris, five painters were busily working on a 30m long mural while a bunch of well-dressed models strutted their stuff on the catwalk. The painters ignored the models walking behind them and continued working on their canvas wall, carefully recreating the work of typographer Job Wouters (aka Letman) and Dutch artist Gijs Frieling.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Installations of Imaginary Architecture by Damien Gilley // Portland-based artist Damien Gilley creates optical illusions that explore imaginary architecture from strips of coloured tape. His large-scale site-specific complex works are executed through drawing and sculptural practices. His illusions, based on the specific proportions and perspectives of the chosen site, challenge the viewers perception.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Lolita Cafe by Trije Arhitekti // Although this space is certainly not my usual style, I am really taken by the flirty feminine aesthetic which is nicely balanced with a muted palette and bold accents of black. There is no doubt that the giant graphic mural applied to the ceiling is the absolute hero. Such a gutsy move which certainly paid off. I also love the stunning large format herringbone floor stained in a multitude of colours – I personally would have thought that was going be too much when coupled with the crazy ceiling, but no sir – it totally works!

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

“The Seagull” by Picasso. Photo by Trond Isaksen & Statsbygg.

Y block in Oslo – Murals by Pablo Picasso // In the early 1970s Norwegian artist Carl Nesjar with whom Picasso worked for 17 years, has decorated interior walls and H and Y blocks of governmental complex of buildings in Oslo representing Picasso works of the late 1950s and 1960s – “The Beach”, “The Seagull,” “Fishermen”, “Satyr and Faun”.

Note: Expert Council recommended to remove murals and demolish buildings that have suffered from explosions arranged by Anders Breivik in July, 2011. At the same time, other experts urge to keep Picasso murals at all costs in the same place as the artist created them specifically for these buildings.

Maison Champs-Elysées by Maison Martin Margiela // Located within the historic Maison de Centraliens, in a corner of Paris which gathers all of the most prestigious French couture houses, Hotel Maison Champs-Elysées opened its doors after a face-lift by Maison Martin Margiela. Aiming to redefine what you might expect from a hotel and bring you a new lifestyle experience, Hotel Maison Champs-Elysées is designed with simplicity, yet full of abundant details.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Images courtesy of Designliga.

soda.BERLIN Bookstore by Designliga // The space and the objects it contains blends into a single whole, an effect which is heightened by the abstract pattern which extends over parts of the walls, shelves, ceiling and floor. These “scribbles” have a random, incidental air despite their clearly graphic origins, releasing the areas they cover from their usual significance.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Images courtesy of GoMA & photographer Mark Sherwood.

The Obliteration Room by Yayoi Kusama at GoMA in Brisbane // Yayoi Kusama‘s seriously cooltown interactive installation for children called The Obliteration Room at (GoMA) consists of a series of rooms painted out in white where every room surface, piece of furniture and decoration was treated as a giant white canvas. Over the course of two weeks, kids are given thousands of colour dot stickers and are encouraged to make their creative contribution towards transforming the white space into one exploding with vibrant colours. Yipeee!

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Derek Swalwell.

Wolseley’ Brighton Residence by mckimm // The home welcomes an energetic social life with well considered areas to entertain within a clever use of introspective architecture. Walls are ceilings are clad in American oak, providing a sense of warmth against the steel, concrete and glass. Precise, unadorned lines are juxtaposed against an eye-catching mural by Melbourne artist Lucas Grogan.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Images via Elle Decoration Norway.

Comfort Hotel Grand Central by Lars Helling & Ajas Mellbye // Design architects Lars Helling and Ajas Mellbye made clever choices with bold colours and key furniture, lighting artwork and props. Artist Ariel McMillion was responsible for all the murals and prints used throughout.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Images courtesy of ArtKvartal.

Door19 by PH.D // Pop-up club Door19 is a restaurant, modern art gallery and a pre-party bar all at the same time. The best street artists in Moscow and Europe, together with a team of the architectural studio PH.D turned it into a temporary club. The art content will be fully updated – to a variety of art genres, young Russian digital art will be added.

Photography © Alexey Knyazev.

Leo Burnett Moscow by Nefa Architects // The Leo Burnett Moscow office by Nefa Architects features a whimsical oversized pair of glasses that frame the reception area and lobby. The open concept workspace for the agency’s new space in Moscow is entirely red, white and black, with the space largely being organised by the giant pair of glasses.

Picasso Everybody Loves Raymond, 2013.

Lichtenstein Moe’s Tavern, 2013. Images courtesy of the artist.

Artist Wrapped Rooms by Jon Rafman Overlay Interiors // Digital artist Jon Rafman presented his ongoing project ‘Brand New Paint Job’ at the Armory Show 2014 in New York, a series which appropriates the renowned artworks of master painters into the three-dimensional digital realm. The collection is comprised of humble, ready-made interiors sourced from google 3D warehouse, like bedrooms, auditoriums, classrooms and kitchens. Bitmap textures, chroma and decorative motifs have been collected from famous historical paintings, and surface the façade of each object placed within the home or commercial dwelling.

Photography © Big Addict.

Panic Room by Tilt // French graffiti artist Tilt has swamped one half of a Marseille hotel room in decoration, while the other half remains completely blank. A clear line divides the room and everything beyond it is coated in graffiti, including bedsheets, curtains and furniture. The Panic Room is one of six suites at the Au Vieux Panier hotel, where rooms are regularly redecorated by different artists.

[Images credits as noted.]