Faye Toogood’s blues
Like a modern day castle, English designer, Faye Toogood’s, interpretation of a Mayfair apartment in London is wildly charismatic; a moody rumination where time stands still. A proud English soul pulses throughout, untamed, aloof and playfully eccentric representing all the wonderfulness of this harsh Isle.
Its contemporary architectural junctions and heavily patinated walls create alluring backdrops for 18th century antiques and avant garde pieces, receding or glowing the soft depth of vision captivates like a still life. Always one to celebrate the rich history of industrial design and high-end craft, Toogood’s choice of fixtures – Catchpole&Rye’s silver bath – and ornamentation – such as the collection of kitchen silverware, ring with majestic aristocracy.
It’s this meticulous weaving of the ages that radiates throughout. Toogood’s ‘Spade Chair’ in gold glows, behind is a curiosity cabinet with expressed welded joints and oversized fishnet fronts, housing antique busts and modern ceramics. Likewise her jewellery stand, atop an 18th century credenza, becomes more form than function against a Bridget Riley print. Her contemporaries are recognised throughout, Hilda Hellström, Michael Anastassiades and Martino Gamper to name a few.
It’s not just the immaculate curating of objects that makes this cosmos so alluring, but Toogood’s choice of palette and materiality induce heady feelings of windswept cliffs and tortured vegetation. Stormy blues and greys with highlights of autumnal hues, chunky tapestry, hessian upholstery, this noble hideout is a full immersion experience in all that is good about the UK.
Credits: Faye Toogood via The New York Times Style Magazine
Photography: Tobias Harvey
