Christopher Kennedy - Making Midcentury Modern

MAKING
MIDCENTURY
MODERN

Christopher Kennedy

Photography by J. Rockwell Seebach

Foreword by Barclay Butera

MAKING MIDCENTURY MODERN

Digital Edition 1.0

Text 2017 Christopher Kennedy

Photographs 2017 J. Rockwell Seebach except as noted otherwise.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.

Gibbs Smith

P.O. Box 667

Layton, Utah 84041

Orders: 1.800.835.4993

www.gibbs-smith.com

ISBN: 978-1-4236-4650-1

For my father (19202003), who was always ahead of his time &

For my mother (19442007), who was timeless &

For Palm Springs: consider this my love song.

W orking from his base in Palm Springs, Christopher Kennedys name has become synonymous with midcentury California glamour. His work with modernism has catapulted the design medium to the forefront of our communitys consciousness. Hes taken a venue that is often misinterpreted and simplified the process of creating midcentury design in the home with his clear vision.

Having had the opportunity to work with Christopher, he has become a great friend and colleague of mine. He and I share a deep-seated passion for couture and the great fashion houses of Europe, and its through our love of this medium that we both find incredible joy and the heart of our creativity within our design work.

Its a tremendous thrill and an honor to have been asked to write this foreword. Christopher is a man with incredible vision who is extremely confident and accomplished. I predict that youll find some inspiration here to spark your own creativity.

Barclay Butera

I believe in traditions. I believe in rituals of hearth and home. I believe in chopping vegetables, wrapping presents, and setting the table.

Call me sentimental.

I miss the days when people got dressed to go on airplanesor even just for dinner. I miss the time when families sat down to dine together; when people would talk and not just text; when kids would stay outside and ride their bikes until sundown; when our country was less fractured; when common courtesy was, well, common.

My mother, Marilyn, was a social worker. She taught me to send handwritten thank you notes and to make my bed each day. She taught me how to dress and to make a good first impression. She taught me that kindness is free and that a smile is always in style.

My father, Robert, was an entrepreneur; a semi-pro boxer, and a soldier in World War II. He taught me to take the road less traveled. He taught me to take care of my possessions. He taught me to live each day to the fullest, to always keep my car clean, and to approach life as a grand adventure.

I do my best to honor their legacy, and as I look at the work on these pagesmy unfolding lifes workit becomes evident that I am decidedly nostalgic. But I dont feel that I am nostalgic for a certain architect, a certain form, or a certain chair. Rather, I am nostalgic for that simpler, more gracious time. I think that we as a society have a similar collective yearning.

Perhaps that is why midcentury modern design has had, and continues to have, a hold on the American consciousness. From television shows, to car commercials, to the fashion runway, what many critics have called a trend seems to have no indication of slowing down any time soon.

Yet not all of us can live in a pedigreed midcentury modern home. Fear not; the principles of midcentury modern design can be applied to the most unassuming of dwellings. The midcentury modernists were creating a movement that eschewed excess and needless ornament, so if your abode is humble, there is no reason to worry. I choose small and well-appointed over wanton grandeur any day.

This book is intended to help you create a midcentury modern look by offering foolproof tips for introducing modernist design into your home.

This book is also intended to help you make midcentury modern. In all of my interior designs, I strive to incorporate the principles of midcentury modernism in a way that feels fresh, relevant, and current. I never want my clients to feel as if they are living in a museum or time capsule.

Because I believe that nostalgiaand design, for that matteris much more than skin deep, you will notice that much of my advice is dedicated to the life behind the style.

The celebrated midcentury designers were decidedly forward-thinking. They were using the new technology of the time (plastic, fiberglass, bent wood) and creating shapes that had never been seen before. They were dreamers and futurists. I like to think that if they were alive today, they would be creating whats new and not resting on their sixty-year-old laurels. I feel that the best way to honor the legacy of these masters is to incorporate their pieces into designs that are decidedly of this century.

So, welcome, and enjoy. Design; create; dream. The past is our muse and the future our canvas.

MAKE AN ENTRANCE

We love our colorful doors in Palm Springs. Its not uncommon to see orange doors, pink doors, green doors.... Even if you dont live in a modernist post-and-beam home, why not have some fun with your first impression? (Dont forget, black or very dark brown can make a great statement too. Paired with chrome or bronze, it will provide a bold and tailored first look.)

At our home in Palm Springs, we installed marble tile in a striking black-and-white pattern, paired it with a vintage light found at a flea market, and painted the door a high-gloss turquoise. Hello, gorgeous!

Photography Grey Crawford.

DRESS THE PART

Call me old-fashioned, but I miss the days when people dressed up. When men wore hats, women wore dresses, and everyone had a certain sense of decorum. I still believe in dressing for the theater and for travel. Im tired of getting on airplanes alongside people wearing their pajamas.

It doesnt need to be about vanity. For me, dressing the part is about putting your best foot forward; its about feeling good about yourself and setting positive intentions for your day. Dressing your best is not just a sign of respect for yourself but also for the people around you. Boys, pull up your pants! Girls, leave a little something to the imagination. And remember: good clothes open all doors.