Today, I am so happy to debut_Art of Living_. Inspired by the natural beauty of Bora Bora and iconic mid-century modern designs I grew up admiring, I hope to challenge the conventional way one experiences design with this series. To elaborate a bit more, I specifically drew a lot of inspiration from the summer house of my maternal great grandparents. It's here that I grew up spending my summers on Lake Michigan and cultivatedmy love of artfully crafted furniture and interior decor. The house is very close to the Herman Miller headquarters, so my great grandparents filled the home in the 1940s, 50’s and 60's with what are now considered iconic contemporary mid-century modern furniture pieces; through the years and future generations, my family has maintained the beauty and mid-century aesthetic of the home. With the love for mid-century modern designever present, I was inspired to create a series that juxtaposes natural and manmade beauty.
To begin, I conceptualized a 15 foot by 15 foot mirrored platform and worked with local Polynesian engineers to construct it. Then, an archetypal selection of mid-century modern pieces were selected, sourced, andcurated into 12 individual vignettes;placed atop the platform andcast along thesparkling French Polynesian waters, these vignettes were then photographed from a vantage point that presentedthesilhouette of Mount Otemanu as aperfectly symmetrical backdrop. Without further ado, please allow me to take you through the series, the mid-century modern designs and provide insights into the creation process with a few select behind the scene images.
The Panton Chair by Verner Panton, _“I want to design furniture that grows up out of the floor,” said Verner Panton. “To turn the furniture into something organic. Which never has four legs.”_ I love this quote... it is such an inspiredapproach to furniture design, and I especially love this chair...in pink.
%20 With each vignette, we carefully had the mirrored platform pulled out into the water, then a team member would dry off the platform as much as possible (it is a very tropicalclimate) and then I'd position myself to compose the shot with the mountain as symmetrical as possible in the background.
There are so many iconic pieces in _The Living Room_ that I love, from the classic leather couch to the Arco Floor Lamp designed by by Achille and Pier Giacomo along withthe very recognizable Noguchi TableDesigned by Isamu Noguchi for Herman Miller.
Perhaps the most iconic of the pieces I selected for this series, the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. This piece along with _The Den_, are both especially personal for me, as all of this furniture can be found in my great grandparents summer home.
Inspired by the their original set, The DenincludesEames Molded Plywood Coffee Table and matching Molded Plywood Lounge Chairs. Coincidently, I selected _The Den_ to hang in my bedroom at home, which you'll be able to see on Thursday with the reveal of our bedroom redesign.Waking up every morning to this piece brings to mind those serene memories and helps me start the day with a positive mindset.
Designed by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, the Egg Chair is just the ultimate pop of color for any mid-century modern decor. I placed a dozen eggs on the table next to the chair to pay homage and I couldn't be happier with the way this image turned out... it almost feels fake but it's all real! Don't you just want to live in it?
Speaking of living in, how about sleeping the night away in _The Bedroom_? Incorporating the Hermès blanket for an extra coat of warmth, I love the idea of indulging in a nap or two here. This isn't the first time you've seen this blanket either..do you know where? If you guessed in my other very conceptual series, Gray Malin at the Parker, then you are spot on!
I think life would be pretty good sitting in anEames Desk Chair and getting lots of work done if your office was_The Office_, don'tyou?
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To end the day, sit back in your Eames Rocker and enjoy a little time on the _The Porch._This one is particularly soothing as I love the beams of light saying goodbye as the sun sets for the evening. Wow, I have to say it's surreal to finally be sharing _Art of Living_ with you all today. I didn't show it ALL to you either, there's more that you need to check out on the _Art of Living_page. I hope you all enjoy it and are inspired to look at designdifferently every once in a while. Thank you for Following Me and a very special thanks to my incredible team and the _amazing_ team of Le Meridienand Le Meridien Bora Bora who all worked together to get this big idea and massive concept to reality...just look at where it began!
The _Art of Living_is ready for your viewing pleasure here!
x Gray
_\*special thanks to Le Meridién for key Behind the Scene images_