English
The magic of the sea
By Angelika Taschen. Excerpt from the book 'The New Seaside Interiors'
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A house beside the sea! It is a dream that a great many people always have. Eight years ago, for the first time, I gave that dream visual form in a book, and since then people have often told me that simply looking at it was like a holiday by the seaside. It is a wonderful compliment, to be told that one has so inspired the imagination of others that for a while they forget their everyday lives and go on their travels, at least in their minds. I'm told that some have even been prompted by the book to buy a house by the sea and adopt ideas from our book for the interior.
Back in 2000 I was already concerned to show the widest possible range of living styles, in very different climate zones - from the humble fisherman's cottage to the luxury villa, from Norwegian fjords to tropical Tahiti. The one thing all the houses had in common was that the sea played the lead part.
And in every one of the houses there were maritime motifs - quite apart from the magnificent view. Generally the color scheme, almost always a dominant blue and white, was chosen to reflect the sea. The combination of colors may not seem particularly original, but it is always appropriate and it is most intriguing to see just how many variations are possible without it ever becoming dull. For me, the standard for unequalled virtuosity was set by architect Gio Ponti in the Hotel Parco dei Principi in Sorrento on the Gulf of Naples. Other maritime elements include finds from the beach - ropes, driftwood, shells, stones and starfish. In our first book of Seaside Interiors I was especially struck, in a Uruguayan home, by a sofa made from a rowingboat no longer watertight. The new owners had hung it from the ceiling with ropes, and filled it with mattresses and cushions. And so they had a place from which to watch the sunset, gently swinging. That sofa cost next to nothing, fitted the surroundings perfectly, looked good, and was both cosy and imaginative - a good example of the truth that a stylish, individual way of living does not presuppose a fat wallet.
Which houses, of the thousands and thousands of potential candidates, should one include in a book designed to have a sales life of over a decade in the global market? For one thing, the interiors should display creativity, delight in discovery, originality, and attention to detail. The owner of the house may be a wealthy art collector who can commission an interior designer heavily in demand all around the world, or a young family with no financial resources who use their imagination and do it themselves - that is immaterial. Ten years after a book or life-style magazine appears, it isn't hard to spot who's merely been following the trends and fashions promoted in countless publications instead of developing their own taste. Interiors quickly look dated. In choosing houses for our book, that is of course something we scrupulously avoid.
Another factor in the success of a book is variety. Yet another house with the "right" Damien Hirst on the wall and original Prouvè chairs around the table is simply a bore. A driftwood sculpture made by the children of the house, on the other hand, gives everything a lighter feel. So one basic rule is that it's the mix that makes the music.
Page [1] [2]
Page [1] [2]
A house beside the sea! It is a dream that a great many people always have. Eight years ago, for the first time, I gave that dream visual form in a book, and since then people have often told me that simply looking at it was like a holiday by the seaside. It is a wonderful compliment, to be told that one has so inspired the imagination of others that for a while they forget their everyday lives and go on their travels, at least in their minds. I'm told that some have even been prompted by the book to buy a house by the sea and adopt ideas from our book for the interior.
Back in 2000 I was already concerned to show the widest possible range of living styles, in very different climate zones - from the humble fisherman's cottage to the luxury villa, from Norwegian fjords to tropical Tahiti. The one thing all the houses had in common was that the sea played the lead part.
And in every one of the houses there were maritime motifs - quite apart from the magnificent view. Generally the color scheme, almost always a dominant blue and white, was chosen to reflect the sea. The combination of colors may not seem particularly original, but it is always appropriate and it is most intriguing to see just how many variations are possible without it ever becoming dull. For me, the standard for unequalled virtuosity was set by architect Gio Ponti in the Hotel Parco dei Principi in Sorrento on the Gulf of Naples. Other maritime elements include finds from the beach - ropes, driftwood, shells, stones and starfish. In our first book of Seaside Interiors I was especially struck, in a Uruguayan home, by a sofa made from a rowingboat no longer watertight. The new owners had hung it from the ceiling with ropes, and filled it with mattresses and cushions. And so they had a place from which to watch the sunset, gently swinging. That sofa cost next to nothing, fitted the surroundings perfectly, looked good, and was both cosy and imaginative - a good example of the truth that a stylish, individual way of living does not presuppose a fat wallet.
Which houses, of the thousands and thousands of potential candidates, should one include in a book designed to have a sales life of over a decade in the global market? For one thing, the interiors should display creativity, delight in discovery, originality, and attention to detail. The owner of the house may be a wealthy art collector who can commission an interior designer heavily in demand all around the world, or a young family with no financial resources who use their imagination and do it themselves - that is immaterial. Ten years after a book or life-style magazine appears, it isn't hard to spot who's merely been following the trends and fashions promoted in countless publications instead of developing their own taste. Interiors quickly look dated. In choosing houses for our book, that is of course something we scrupulously avoid.
Another factor in the success of a book is variety. Yet another house with the "right" Damien Hirst on the wall and original Prouvè chairs around the table is simply a bore. A driftwood sculpture made by the children of the house, on the other hand, gives everything a lighter feel. So one basic rule is that it's the mix that makes the music.
Page [1] [2]
New Seaside Interiors
Hardcover 9.4 x 12.4 in., 300 pages
$ 39.99
$ 39.99
From minimalist to cozy, from ethnic to modern, these homes all share a love for the deep blue
Pierre Cardin, Saint-Tropez, France.
Photo (c) Matthew Hranek/gigiamarchiori.com
Mima & César Reyes, Naguabo, Puerto Rico.
Photo (c) Nicolas Koenig/gigiamarchiori.com