Ahead of the Curve
Effortlessly easy on the eye, curves add instant visual appeal to a space—we share some beautiful ways to blend contemporary hues with these shapely forms
1. CLASSIC MEETS COOL
Maybe it’s the swivel that makes us dizzy for the Knoll Tulip chair by Eero Saarinen, or perhaps it’s the sensuous curves? Either way, this classic design makes us fall in love over and over again. Combining the chair’s retro feel with contemporary colours and curved shapes makes for an eye-catching, layered look. Add a dried flower stem or entire tree branch for a look that channels the style of 20thcentury British floristry maven, Constance Spry. Get the look with vinyl stickers from stickaroo.com, vases from H&M and obvi.co.za. The vintage Tulip swivel chairs are the stylist’s own.
2. POSTER CHILD
Painting not your thing, but feeling creative nonetheless? Craft a tabletop still life using all your favourite curved pieces, take a highresolution photograph of your efforts on your phone and take the image to your local print shop. After it’s printed, simply grab a classic gallery frame and proudly display it. This spread is styled with an arched board from obvi.co.za. The photo features Portuguese-style crockery from poetrystores.co.za, and is displayed in an A2 black frame from countryroad.com.au.
3. STICK ’EM UP
Transform your space with colour and curves—without any pesky paint fumes—by using removable vinyl wall stickers. These are really easy to install, and can also be moved around should you fancy a change and want to create a new configuration. This stylish tableau is created with vinyl stickers from stickaroo.com; the vintage Tulip chairs by Eero Saarinen are the stylist’s own.
4. TRAY BIEN
A handmade piece doesn’t need to be perfect to be charming: leave behind all that perspective stuff you learnt in art class and freeflow your way through a curve-filled design until your piece brings you joy. Get the look with a plain plywood tray and poster paints in complementary shades from your local art-supply store; here, we’ve used a cool coffee shade, a dusty pink, a deep ochre and a soft terracotta to evoke sandy dunes and sunset skies.
5. GET MOBILE
Add movement to your space with a handmade mobile. This is a great project to do with kids. Don’t be too particular about having even folds and regular shapes; the more hand-made it looks, the better. Work on this do-ityourself project with scissors, colourful cards, chopsticks, artist’s wire and double-sided tape, all of which can be sourced from your local art-supply store. Use chopsticks to make a cross, and wrap some artist’s wire tightly around the cross-section to secure. About 2cm from each of the ends, wrap more wire tightly around, leaving a little piece to create a hook shape. This is where the strip of paper shapes will hang from. Do the same at the cross section, too. Fold each shape in half and make a pin hole in the middle of the fold. Thread a length of wire through; here, we used three to five shapes per strip. Lay the pieces flat and space them out, stick down the wire and cards, and use doublesided tape on the inside. Make a loop of wire at the top end of each strip, then hang each strip from the cross. You may need to move the pieces around to get a good balance, and add or remove shapes until your mobile hangs comfortably. Trim off excess wire. To suspend the entire mobile, attach the wire to the central midsection, finish with a loop at the top and hang it at your favourite spot.
6. SHOP AROUND
Seek out curvaceous shapes and spicy shades when shopping for decor accessories and crockery. A round tray, tactile vases and handle-free coffee mugs instantly add a cosy and comforting feel. The images on the right feature dusty pink serving bowls from poetrystores.co.za, a phone cover with strap from zacandgray.co.za, an arched board and sand-coloured vase, both from obvi.co.za, an off-white vase from H&M, along with Nespresso coffee cups and a mustard ceramic tray from mrphome.com.
7. SOFT TOUCH
No sharp edges allowed! Choose vases with tactile curves that invite a casual caress, and look just as lovely displayed on their own as they do filled with spring blooms. Pictured here are an off-white vase from H&M, and a sandcoloured vase and dusty orange vessel, both from obvi.co.za.