Ask a Designer: How to Curate a Timeless Living Room

POW Idea’s keen spatial intelligence creates spaces which are unique and comfortable, and B&B Italia’s reassuringly monolithic Tobi Ishi coffee table from Space Furniture fits the bill. “Inspired by Japanese Zen gardens, the simplicity of this table gives ease to fit into almost any space,” enthuses E. “Its clean and bold forms suggest a space that is grounded and balanced.”

POW Ideas opine that a timeless living room should defy trends and be confident in its own vision. In line with that, personal pieces which speak to their owner are ideal like handcrafted pottery by Lee Ee Vee who founded her own ceramics brand, Thirty3Eleven.

“As one of our favourite local potters, Lee has carved her name in the local scene as one of the top potters in KL. Simple shapes paired with neutral glazing tones have become her signature,” says E. “Making all the pieces herself, she creates each piece with an immense amount of care and dedication to ensure the quality of every piece produced. The fact that no two pieces are alike gives a sense of individuality to each.”

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A focal point is important to create a wow factor and this luscious chair by Gaetano Pesce is certainly that. B&B Italia’s Up chair from Space Furniture has the X-factor.

“This classic piece is inspired by the curves and swerves of a woman, celebrating femininity in every turn. Its bold stripes and sculptural form becomes a centrepiece for any space it is placed in. Typically for larger spaces, the striking form of the armchair has become a legend in the design scene, having been featured in museums and art galleries alike.”

Art doesn’t just finesse a living room, it adds character to the space. The duo, who are active in creating art installations themselves, have their finger on the pulse of what’s new in the art world and cite Sattama as an artist to watch.

“A recent discovery of ours, this East Malaysian artist who creates works that are vibrant and quirky. With pieces that are relatively controversial, his use of colour and form is such a breath of fresh air. Venturing beyond the canvas, his quirky works also cross into music and sound as an art form. His artwork may not be suitable for all spaces, but can work as an injection of personality for people who enjoy his ideas.”

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Lighting that illuminates a space and looks appealing even when not switched sums up their pick, the Tizio desk lamp created by Richard Sapper for Artemide in 1972 from Lightcraft.

“It has a minimal and timeless form yet is such a brilliant engineering feat. Richard Sapper also designed the iconic IBM Thinkpad, hence the Tizio Lamp has that retro yet hi-tech aesthetic to it,” states Ong. “Its movable mechanism allows it to shape-shift into multiple configurations, as a functional table lamp or as an ambient table lamp by moving its lamp head and body accordingly. I own one myself.”

Form, function and versatility are qualities the designers always prioritise and Edra’s Standard sofa by Francesco Binfaré from Space Furniture is their top pick for seating: “We've always wanted to use this sofa in a project. It’s clean but uber comfortable and its flexible design allows us to potentially use this in a multitude of ways. As it also comes in an assortment of colours, it helps us frame spaces, either as the centrepiece or as a supporting side sofa.”

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