Decorating & Design
February 11, 2021
Tommy Smythe On The Latest Designers To Turn His Head
You may be surprised to know that I hold no style bias for brilliance. I’ve been known to appreciate magnificent maximalism and then pirouette nimbly into the cool waters of modern minimalism. I’m design fluid: I don’t just go both ways, I go every which way. To prove it, I’m sharing a few of my current design crushes.
When I discover a talent that triggers a reaction, I start to imagine what it would be like to know them. Where would we go, and what would we talk about? Some designers, like the ones featured here, reveal something personal and vulnerable in their work. Look closely at these rooms and you’ll find clues, not only about the clients but also about the designer, too. Work like this has the potential to become timeless, and these designers are the household names of the future.
From my ever-lengthening list, I’ve harvested a handful who are on my radar, and I’ve dreamed up our perfect day together. Allow me to introduce you to a few of my future best friends: they just don’t know it yet.
This is a guy who has it all: a thriving design practice, a killer art collection and some of the best vintage modern pieces I’ve ever seen. I’d literally jump at the chance to go shopping for vintage treasures with him. His work is often described as masculine in its point of view, but there’s a grace and elegance balancing the strength and purpose here. Democratic design considers the user and the objects with equal integrity, so the result feels as useful as it is beautiful. That will get my vote every time.
Brigette Romanek’s incredibly honed eye transcends mere collection; I’d love to visit artisan studios with her to see how she selects pieces for her quietly curated rooms. I look at her work and see something new each time. Maybe it’s a chair, a vase or even a potted plant, which invites me to ask: Where did it come from, and why am I drawn to it? This is the mark of a true talent.
Corey Damen Jenkins & Associates
This designer’s very name sounds happy and serious at the same time; his work is the same. My dream day with him would involve us mixing paints together for a unique insight into his joyful use of color. Making rooms this memorable means challenging the status quo, but that can cause chaos without the right discipline. Corey’s creativity stands with one foot on a textbook and the other on a rainbow. Doesn’t that sound good to you?
Fink makes me think. Dan’s work is brilliantly thoughtful and ordered but still livable, and nowhere is this more evident than in the custom upholstery and cabinets that set the stage for found objects and fine art. Of one thing I am sure: wandering museums with Dan would be the best day ever. Although we’d probably both be frustrated to find there are no price tags on anything!
In a room by Stanley Sun and Ashley Rumset, the Canadian designers behind Mason Studio, you’ll have everything you need, a few things you didn’t even know you wanted, and not one superfluous thing. Many of us prefer this way of living, and all of us need it at least once in a while. The good news is, they’ve designed several hotels that can provide just that. Every project by Mason Studio is a nice place to visit, and as soon as we can travel again, I’m heading off to explore the world with them! Who’s with me?
House & Home January/February 2021
Produced by Bianca Zanotti