Autumn Allure
Heidi Gubbins is a Marbella-based interior designer with an array of projects under her belt. Heidi's transformed spaces for private clients and collaborated with design firms and architects on numerous projects. Her stylish approach, focus, attention to detail and sensitivity to her client's wishes attract clients from Spain, Europe and the USA. Heidi is joining our décor section at Society Magazine. Each month she'll offer design advice and spotlight some of her favourite and novelty items.
I love autumn, it is a transitional season. I like how it communicates through its earthy tones. My senses are involuntarily captured by so many things; the feeling of the crackling leaves underfoot, the soft breeze that invites the sporadic showers and thunderstorms and the unique scent of wet earth after it has rained. I love how the sun emanates and embraces us with a soft golden light and how cloudy days make us feel cozy. As a little girl, I remember walking down the street in Santiago and being visually taken by the warm tones and the beauty of the tall trees and falling leaves. It's the time of year when I feel most connected to Mother Earth, a time to watch and enjoy all of nature changing.
This month I'll show you some simple ways to incorporate colour, pattern and art into your décor. I'll highlight a few of my favourites and explain why I love them. I hope you'll be inspired and join me on a journey of design.
As all who know me well can testify, I enjoy meeting professionals and artists and tapping into their mind and outlook. I like discovering how they see things, what drives and inspires them.
I recently met Miguel Ferrer an architect and painter born in Argentina who has been in Marbella since the eighties. I love that he uses nature as his main source of inspiration, he plays on the balance, structure and the element of surprise found in the wild. It inspires new journeys and discoveries through his art. He draws inspiration from Tarifa, little towns in Spain and even travels to the Portuguese-Atlantic borders to submerse himself in the dense forest areas. I love the intricacy of his art, the way he reinterprets what he sees in such unusual and creative ways. He texturizes, with layer upon layer of paint to achieve impactful pieces that draw your eye into the depths of his inspiration on canvas. Here is one of my favourites. It would make an ideal stand-alone piece, installed on a big wall making it a focal point in a room or hallway.
Meinke Flesseman is a Dutch painter and friend of mine. I was immediately drawn by the sincerity in her art and the feeling that she captures from what she sees, which is evoked in her paintings. I had the pleasure of visiting her atelier in Portugal last year and for me, it was an experience of colour and sensation. This stunning Billy & Doe are two of my favourite pieces and I still absolutely adore them. Most people would probably envision them in a farmhouse or country house setting however, either of them would make an unexpected statement in a modern or loft-style interior, particularly against a ribbed concrete or a textured stone wall.
Bocci…
During my visit to the Milan furniture & lighting fair this year, I enjoyed visiting Bocci’s stand. As always, it was an ethereal experience.
I met with Bocci’s representative recently and she explained a bit about the company culture and the mastermind behind the design of each piece. Based between Vancouver and Berlin, the one and only Omer Arbel, Bocci’s leading designer, cultivates a fluid position, between the fields of architecture, sculpture, invention and design. Focal themes of his work include the intrinsic mechanical, physical, and chemical qualities of materials and the exploration of light as a medium.
I love the concept of combining light and living greenery, and Bocci has captured that impeccably well with their 38.11V Lamp! A large glass sphere is blown with a multitude of haphazard interior cavities, which intersect and collide with each other in unpredictable ways. Several of these satellite cavities are deep enough to hold earth and succulent or cacti plantings, while others house lighting elements.
They have floor and table versions of this lamp as well. I have a few more favourites from their new collections that I will speak about in another issue!
More at bocci.ca
I like displaying accessories as small pieces of art that you can nomadically move around at your whim and wish.
These little beauties entice me with their mesmerizing colours and textures; so smooth to the touch, and yet so textured and layered to the eye.
Bocci
Another way to create an artful touch is by adding a wallcovering. Elitis is one of my favourite brands, they offer a wide range of eye-catching decorative options. This colourful example is from their collection “Pop”. I like the pattern and how the tones and textures are combined so exquisitely. For those who like to make a bold statement, you can play with an interior and make it a fun part of the home and likewise in a commercial space. So, be bold! Choose a wall and make an impact!
For those who like colour in a more subdued form, you can create an understated elegant space by using large patterns in light pastel tones. Adding a light fixture to enhance the soft look will make a smart statement.
Elitis.fr
Casamance
If you prefer a neutral palate throughout but want to add a pop of colour, try a pattern on items such as scatter cushions or ottomans. You can then decide if you’d like the material in bolder or softer tones. Here are three patterns from Casamance’s new collection KEWPARKthat I think work particularly well.
casamance.com
So that’s it for this month’s issue! I look forward to receiving your feedback on what you’ve done to spruce up your space.
If you’d like to know more about any of the items mentioned in this article, please get in touch and we will be happy to assist.
+34 653561867
heidigubbins.com