THE MAXIMALIST MANIFESTO

With more than a nod to Memphis style, this home of American artist Angela Chrusciaki Blehm shows the benefits of being bold

for artist and design lover Angela Chrusciaki Blehm, more is always more. ‘I love pattern, primary colours and black and white,’ she enthuses. ‘I also love parties, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to paint a permanent spray of confetti on my living room ceiling.’ It seems a fitting flourish, as this home in southern US city Atlanta is a celebration – vivid, vibrant and brimming with personality. With more than a dash of the bright, exuberant style that defined the Memphis design movement, Angela has transformed a traditional suburban house into a space that makes people smile.

‘I’m not sure when I first noticed Memphis design,’ says Angela, ‘but I am a child of the 1980s, so I will have subconsciously absorbed the trends around me while growing up. I have always been hyper-aware of styles and design periods, even if I don’t always know about their history. I organise and classify in my own way.’ It was seeing a magazine article showing the Milan apartment of modernist Italian architect Gae Aulenti that had the biggest influence on Angela’s choices, though. A believer in self-expression above all, and a strong opponent of the uniformity of the Bauhaus legacy, Aulenti is a fitting muse for this very individual interior. ‘When we moved in 2013, I was looking for a new and authentic-to-me way to approach the design of my home,’ explains Angela. ‘That’s when I saw Aulenti’s combination of different styles, scales and patterns. In particular, it was the simple shapes and bold colours that inspired me to do something similarly playful.’

With original artworks by Angela – as well as pieces created by her children and their friends – sitting alongside iconic items of furniture, such as Verner Panton’s ‘Panton’ chair for Vitra, bespoke designs and upscaled vintage buys, this home is precision-tuned to stimulate the senses. In a place this cheerful, it’s easy to maintain a sunny outlook no matter what life throws at you. ‘Colour,’ says Angela, ‘is a cure.’

Extract taken from ‘More is More: Memphis, Maximalism, and New Wave Design’, published by teNeues; teneues.com

ANGELA TRANSFORMED HAS

A TRADITIONAL

SUBURBAN

HOUSE INTO

A SPACE

THAT MAKES

PEOPLE SMILE

‘ WHEN WE

MOVED, I WAS

LOOKING FOR

A NEW AND AUTHENTICTO-ME WAY

TO APPROACH

THE DESIGN

OF MY HOME’

Living room (previous page) Angela’s mural suits the playful ‘Etcetera’ chairs by Jan Ekselius and bold chandelier. A photograph by Matt Odom hangs above the fireplace Above A painting by Angela’s children rests on a sideboard upscaled with oversized handles

Kitchen The light and airy space is painted in the palest green, a neutral for Angela, while cobalt blue-painted chairs from NJModern add a pop of colour. The bespoke marble table was made by Grey Furniture in Atlanta

Kitchen Angela worked with a local carpenter to create the striking pendant light structure that hangs above the island, making a statement in the lofty room Hallway Behind the red console table from online store Chairish is a mural by Angela, her children and friends. The brass table is from Gillian Bryce Fine Art

Living room Angela’s art spills onto the walls, with the ceiling painted in a confetti design. A triangular ottoman by a local carpenter is upholstered in ‘Aimee’ fabric by Clarence House, while the more neutral vintage sofa is from Gillian Bryce Fine Art

Hallway Cutouts of Angela’s Ribbon prints decorate the wall. An eye-catching yellow pendant hangs above a custom red cabinet. The vintage chair is from Gillian Bryce Fine Art Bedroom A vintage footstool, covered in ‘Arty’ fabric by Pierre Frey, and matching cushions bring Angela’s playful style to the space, alongside a cherry-red upholstered bed

Main bedroom A spotted rug by Stark and a curvaceous velvet footstool from antiques dealer Stephanie Schofield add a sense of fun to this sophisticated room. The pendant light is by Clayton Gray Home and the side chair is the ‘Alky’, designed by Giancarlo Piretti in the 1970s for Artifort See Stockists page for details