Charles Burnand Taps AD100 Designers for Icons Collection
When he was tapped to design the Collector’s Lounge at Salon Art + Design, which runs through November 12 at the Park Avenue Armory, Simon Stewart knew the perfect source of design inspiration: "I have a collection of archival images of Studio 54,” says the founder of London-based showroom and design studio Charles Burnand. “I wanted to create a sexy, updated version of that club.”
With pieces that fuse midcentury and brutalist sensibilities, the cozy lounge is made up of intimate seating areas and couches to foster both private and general conversation. The furnishings are thrown into the spotlight, quite literally, through the use of dramatic lighting and a backdrop of black walls and carpeting.
The lounge is also a stage set for Stewart to reveal a new capsule collection for Charles Burnand. The showroom tapped David Collins Studio, Drake/Anderson, and Ike Kligerman Barkley to create pieces that are meant to be pure representations of each designer’s aesthetic identity. The name of the collection? Icons.
“I wanted to elevate the concept of a collaboration,” says Stewart. “We wanted to let these iconic designers make iconic pieces themselves."
Stewart approached the three designers in June of this year and gave them free reign over what they chose to create for Charles Burnand. Stewart told us that he believes designers are at their best when they have complete control over their aesthetic direction. The only restrictions were the materials they had to work with, which needed to be consistent with the other pieces Charles Burnand offers.
Eight weeks later, their creations were complete: two consoles, a mirror, and a wall sconce.
David Collins Studio created “Ultra Violet,” a wall sconce made of Murano glass and marquetry panels of violet and gold straw. Each detail of the piece, from its proportions and specific type of glass to the intricate style of marquetry, was a product of the exacting direction of David Collins Studio.
Drake/Anderson conceived the “Escalier” console and mirror, an Art Deco–inspired pairing made of polished nickel and gypsum. They used alternating blocks of polished and raw gypsum to give added texture to the piece.
Mia Jung, director of interiors at Ike Kligerman Barkley, designed the “Cloud Console,” made of Murano glass and 24-karat gold and silver. The curved legs of the console are able to be repositioned, so whoever purchases the piece can customize it to their liking.
"It was a lot of fun!” says Stewart of the collaborations. “We understand and respect each other, the designers and I. We knew the process.”
The pieces are available now through Charles Burnand and are on view in the lounge through the rest of the fair. But don’t worry if you miss out on this Icons capsule. “I would definitely do another collection—it was a great experience,” says Stewart. “This is just the beginning.”
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