Features include a laboratory sink and fittings, a functional yet beautiful ladder, factory lighting, and exposed pipes and hardware. We're already seeing some early signs of a resurgence, including the return of track lighting and the trend for stainless steel kitchens. But as production delays become the norm and prices of both goods and labor continue to rise, designers and clients alike are motivated to lean toward industrial minimalism, a relatively off-the-shelf style that doesn't sacrifice nuance. I am.
We expect more home improvement essentials to become more readily available and less expensive than custom-made items. For example, a recent scout shot of a SoHo loft featured metal blinds against an interior glass wall, and the metal blinds looked incredibly cool. You can find it in magazines right away.
'Make-Do', ad-hoc chair and catalog sale exhibition by Marta, high-tech-influenced scenography by Kat Snodgrass
Photo: Jason Le, courtesy of Malta
“This is an aesthetic of problem-solving,” Kat Snodgrass, who recently created a high-tech backdrop for an exhibition built around a similar concept, tells AD PRO. Curated by Marta gallery and Catalog Sale, “Make-Do” was a show of his 24 ad-hoc chairs, past and present, on display during NYC x Design. In the set design, Snodgrass added to his DIY ethos in the unconventional venue of his disused neoclassical 1980s medical imaging center in Chinatown, using prefabricated aluminum blinds and fluorescent lights. We incorporated materials and left the essence of the space exposed.
“Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in studio craft. I'm interested in tradition, process, and bespoke design,” says Snodgrass. “I wonder if the use of prefabricated commercial and industrial materials is coming as a reaction to that maximalist style. I personally love the contrast of the two styles used together. Both focus on found objects and materials recontextualized through a designer's lens.
For a great example of that contrast, check out Sarah Burns' new furniture collection in Marta, Los Angeles. The main materials in this series, called Prairie's Edge, are birch plywood and cold-rolled steel, giving the Rustbelt a sophisticated look.