British paint brand Farrow & Ball is synonymous with a certain kind of muted, Regency-chic drawing-room aesthetic (and very refined it is too). But for Palm Springs’ Modernism Week, the company has teamed up with California-born designer Christopher Kennedy and modern furniture dealer Converso to create an interiors display channelling the vivid, nostalgic glamour of Palm Springs design.
‘Colourful Escape’, as the set-up is dubbed, is certainly eye-catching. Kennedy has conceived a wall design ‘reminiscent of Palm Springs breezeblock patterns’, covered with bright F&B hues like the dramatic orange of ‘Charlotte’s Locks’, the mint green ‘Arsenic’ and the lush pink of ‘Nancy’s Blushes’ (abstruse names are a Farrow & Ball trademark). This he surrounded with classic pieces from Converso (and ‘layered in artwork, rugs and accessories from some of my favourite vendors’ he explains).
The ‘Colourful Escape’ is a collaboration between Farrow & Ball, Christopher Kennedy and Converso for Modernism Week 2018
The modern furniture designs chosen by Kennedy include an un-restored 1960s sofa by Raymond Loewy (a former resident of an Albert Frey-designed home in the desert city); Robert Venturi’s 1985 ‘Empire Chairs’, manufactured by Knoll and designed as response to the work of Ettore Sottsass’ Memphis Group; and a custom Wendell Castle ‘Lounge Chair’ from 1974. It’s a cohesive, complementary amalgam of timeless vibe and seminal style – a perfect fit for Modernism Week, then.
