The client had always wanted a Japanese element to be woven into the interior décor of the new penthouse apartment. With a scheme that was predominantly grey and gold and a theme that exemplified European contemporary chic, the team at Top London Interior Design studio, René Dekker Design, really had to think hard how this might be achieved in this high end living room. Inspired by the iconic three storey olive tree that the creative director had installed at a previous Chelsea Apartment project, the wheels were set in motion. ‘The seed had been sown’ so to speak!
The concept began with choosing several images of bonsai trees that fitted the idea of a ‘wild or windy’ setting. The tree had to exude the properties of an original specimen that might be found high up on a Japanese mountain, poised precariously on a small outcrop of rock with very little nutrients. The leaves needed to emulate a ‘windswept’ feel and the trunk ‘contorted’ as if its very existence depended on this perfect balance! The best attributes from several images were woven together to create the original concept. Deftly, the design team transposed this onto the wall elevation to give it a sense of scale so that the client could understand the proportion. This upscale reception room was always going to have a grey polished plaster wall finish so this was also added, building up the picture further to give it a sense of reality. Finally the client’s furniture was overlaid onto the artwork in order to understand how much of the sculpture would actually be visible.
The Award Winning studio then worked closely with the talented team at DKT artworks, in particular Steve Keeling, to start developing a full sized sketch and mock-up. Samples were produced where leaves were added to the polished plaster either as a single layer or multiple layers to see what looked best. Leaf samples were also created of different silver and gold finishes ensuring the tree seamlessly wove itself into the scheme. The finished result is a true mastery of disciplines, enhancing the Interior Design in a truly unique way.
T: +44 20 7036 1699
E: [email protected]