It might seem strange to post a cache of Christmas photos when the holidays are well behind us and Spring is right around the corner. But when said Christmas photos involve lots of blue and white ceramics and alluring fabrics, then no time seems the wrong time to post them.
The photos seen here, which show the home of Madrid-based designer Lorenzo Castillo, appeared in the December issue of Vogue Espana- which, by the way, only just landed at my local newsstand a few weeks ago. Castillo's work, a curious blend of styles that seem to reflect the designer's catholic tastes, has earned him fans not just in Europe but on these shores as well. Castillo's eclectic sensibility is on full display in his own home, an enticing mix of Chinese porcelains, Asian-motif fabrics, flamestitch velvet, and glimmers of gilt. Looking at this somewhat baroque and rather maximalist decor, I am reminded of Duarte Pinto Coelho and Hutton Wilkinson, both designers whose work has more than a soupçon of flair.
While my American sensibility requires a Christmas celebrated in more traditional fashion- think Fraser Firs, red ribbon, and even the token Nutcracker- I like way in which Castillo marked his Christmas in high style. The effect is as rich as a Christmas confection- and every bit as delicious.
All photos from Vogue Espana, December 2015, Aaron Serrano photographer.
Love that fantastic (tapestry?) fabric that mimics black background Chinese lacquer on the dining chairs. Anyone have an idea who makes it? That gentleman has immense style.
ReplyDeleteFound it! That fabric is his own design and seems to be carried by Kravet. Here's the link: http://tritexfabrics.com/2015/06/kravet-gaston-y-daniela-lorenzo-castillo-ii/
ReplyDeleteGood job, Quatorze! It's a terrific-looking fabric.
DeleteDelightfully stunning! One of my Kansas City friends designed her Christmas tree with Chinoiserie blue and white balls this year!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
The hallmark of Spanish decoration has long been confusion, rather than fusion; it cannot really decide which way to go. On the one hand it tries to incorporate something of its colourful Moorish and colonial past and, on the other hand, it determinedly wants to be European as well. This schizophrenia in the Spanish aesthetic sensibility goes back to the start of the 18th century, when the French Bourbon dynasty displaced the older House of Austria on Spanish throne. The new king, Phillip V, was the grandson of Louis XIV and had been raised at Versailles. He imported French culture and design wholesale, beginning the process of suppressing native and historical Spanish arts and taste, but the Spanish soul has not completely surrendered. It sill likes the bright colours and sinuous forms inherited from the Moors. Instead, the European aesthetic forms a rather thin veneer atop Spanish taste. The end result of this is that a lot of Spanish decoration and architecture is an attempt to force Spanish taste into European forms and it often ends-up looking not quite right. Their interior decoration rarely knows which way it wants to go; the attempt at fusion often looks more like confusion and this is obvious in a lot of Castillo's work. I certainly wouldn't compare his work to Duarte Coelho's; their aesthetic is hugely different. Coehlo may have made his name in Spain, but he was Portuguese by birth and heritage and his work reflected the aesthetic of that country. Portugal never went through the sort of dynastic rupture and cultural suppression that Spain did and they have manged the transition from, and fusion of Moorish, colonial and European elements far more harmoniously than the Spaniards. But, to bring it all back to that first picture of the Christmas tree, I think it looks rather nice.
ReplyDeleteAlexis, I spent time this weekend thinking about your comment before replying. You obviously know a great deal about Spanish history and decorative arts, far more than I, so your argument seems compelling. I'm curious if you feel the same about the work of Jaime Parlade.
DeleteThe grandest accents in England are not found in Buckingham Palace but in obscure country houses barely touched by the changing trends in the capital. Much the same applies to the traditional Spanish aesthetic; it is more visible in the distant provinces than in the metros influenced by the Francophile court. Jaime Parlade wasn't just inspired by, or an imitator of, the old Spanish aesthetic, but, rather, his work was an extension of it.
DeleteParlade belonged to the landed aristocracy of Andalusia in the south, where the old Spanish taste is still most visible and this is strongly reflected in his work. You see that clearly, for example, in the way that he regularly sets highly ornate objects against backgrounds that are extremely plain or, almost, severe; the use of strong colours; the preference for curtains without valences etc. He was seeped in what was left of the old Spanish aesthetic right from the beginning. Another key point in his success as a decorator was that Parlade also spent part of his childhood in Morocco from which he absorbed an understanding of the Moorish decorative traditions that had formed a basis for much of the old Spanish aesthetic. The Spanish Moors, after all, had settled in Morocco after being driven-out of Spain. This combination of having grown-up with the legacy of the Andalusian aristocracy and his deep and direct experience the Moorish aesthetic is evident in his work. He understood where and how Moorish elements fit into Spanish design and was able to incorporate it without the end-result looking like a Disney cartoon. Of course, Parlade also took inspiration from other traditions, particularly his love of things English and the English emphasis on comfort above all. This obvious influence gives his work a certain softness that isn't intrinsic to Spanish decoration.
Although Parlade collaborated with Duarte Coelho on several occasions, their styles are quite distinct. Coelho's work is, essentially, European. He may have included elements from the Moorish and colonial elements of Iberian history, but they were included merely as accents. Coelho's success came from not trying to cram too many cultural references from Iberia's very rich and diverse history into his work. He was, undoubtedly, aware how easily these attempts at fusion can go terribly wrong. Parlade, on the other hand, was able to combine the very broad elements of Spain's cultural history with remarkable flair. To my mind, he was the greater of the two. More than any other modern decorator, he was able to give modern form to the old high Spanish taste. Unsurprisingly, this brought him into conflict with the French taste that had smothered the native aesthetic of his homeland. Jaime Parlade in his own words:
“I always liked objects that were excentric, Irish pieces for example, they are always so strange, and everything English. On the other hand, I am not crazy for the french (objects), even though there are some pieces which I cannot but admire; I am horrified by its richness, its ostentatiousness, it represents everything that I do not want. A house with a comode full of decorative elements makes me ill.”
Apologies for the over-long reply.
Alexis, I respect and understand that there are things for all tastes but don't you think that "the hallmark of Spanish Decoration has long been confusion" is a bit harsh and perhaps also unfair? All generalisations tend to be.. I don't know if you are familiar with the work of Isabel López-Quesada, Lázaro Rosa Violán, Pascua Ortega or Luis Puerta to name just four, and in the past maybe Paco Muñoz or Emilio Rey. Incidentally Lorenzo Castillo was a very good friend of Duarte Pinto Cohelo and inherited some of his things on top of a shared taste.
Deletelove the fabric on the dinning rm chairs also + thanks Quatorze
ReplyDeleteI usually like Castillo's work, but this seems to be a bit toooooo much. Alexis' explanation of Spanish design is interesting. xoxo Mary
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