AN ARTISTIC TRADITION
Bicycles in the bathroom, fish in the sink and a collection of bowler hats hanging from your ceiling. Absolutely anything’s possible, says LUKE RIX-STANDING
Tired of tables with four legs, porcelain sinks, and rooms that stay the same colour when you turn the lights off? No, we didn’t think you would be – but hear us out. These surrealist home improvements will make you question all you thought you knew about your living room and, perhaps, your reality.
The Collins Dictionary describes surrealism as: “A style in which ideas, images and objects are combined in a strange way, like in a dream.” We’re not going to stick to this too rigidly here (full disclosure: We just want to show you stuff that’s cool and weird), but it’s worth keeping in mind nonetheless. It worked pretty well for Spanish artist Salvador Dali; it may do the same for your kitchen.
You probably won’t want to seriously consider full-blown surrealistic style for your next decor update, but these outthere looks and quirky designs might inspire a few new touches...
Surrealism is steeped in avant-garde aesthetics, so the designs themselves fit well into a modern interior. A quick Google search yields Rene Magritte-themed cushions, Salvador Dali curtains, and mugs adorned with the works of Max Ernst.
More overtly domestic are the sculptures, and replicas of Salvador Dali’s iconic ‘lips sofa’ (it’s exactly what it sounds like) are as comfy as they are mindbending.
Surrealism has its own category in print shops and poster websites, so any bare stretch of wall can be easily filled with melting clocks, abstract collages and contortionist portraiture.