For those with an enthusiasm for architecture, a look inside Alicia Keys' home may not be anything new. The Grammy-winning singer resides in Razor House, a magnum opus, an architectural landmark designed by Wallace E. Cunningham.
The shape of the modern La Jolla landmark overlooking the Pacific knows how to demand attention – but inside, unique shapes continue to take center stage – and this includes her in the form of her living room furniture.
Keys' living room marries brutalist modern design with warm minimalism to create a soothing yet uber-stylish place to unwind. The secret to sucsess? Curved furniture – that is used in abundace around the space. While this spacious living area is by no means compact, incorporating shapes has benefits for homes of all sizes, including small living rooms, as designers explain.
'Curved furniture, especially sofas, hold significant power! I think what I love is how they organically often fit better in tight New York apartments, providing comfortable seating without blocking off any parts of the room or the flow, and creating a space you can easily and comfortably move around,' comments Isy Runsewe, a designer from Isy's Interiors.
Whether we're working with an open-plan space like Key's or a more compact area, Runsewe reassures us that curved furniture is always good-looking enough to take center stage.
'Curved sofas look stunning from all angles, including behind, making them versatile enough to be placed in the middle of a room or in a corner, rather than needing to always be pushed against a wall,' she explains. 'They create a dynamic layer in typical straight-lined spaces, creating a flow and a softer movement when designing.'
Giselle Loor Sugerman , the principal at B+G Design, agrees. They flag how curved furnishings look particularly striking in architecturally-designed modern homes (like Keys'), noting how their soft shapes look beautiful when juxtaposing against the sharp lines.
When designing modern interiors, we like to soften the lines with curved furniture pieces – these pieces break the linear patterns from the architecture. I like to include curved sofas, curved cocktail tables, and light fixtures that have softer elements,' Sugerman comments. 'These pieces make a statement while accentuating the overall design. They also help to delicately delineate between areas in open plan layouts.'
