Brian Coleman - Barry Dixon Inspirations

Barry Dixon Inspirations

Brian D. Coleman

Photographs by Erik Kvalsvik

Barry Dixon Inspirations

Digital Edition 1.0

Text 2011 Brian D. Coleman

Photographs 2011 Erik Kvalsvik

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: 978-1-4236-1474-6

Often the most profound inspiration comes from those around us, the ones we love and admire. Michael Schmidt has inspired me since the moment we met almost 20 years ago. Muses are all around us. B. D.

I thank my editor, Madge Baird, for helping us produce my fifteenth beautiful book and K. H. for his encouragement. B. C.

Anyone can find inspiration in his or her surrounding environment. Though at times it may be difficult to find, inspiration is there, should one take the time to look. A common trait shared between true artists and designers is the ability to derive inspiration from what most people simply overlook or consider ordinary. Nevertheless, only a great artist is able to take that inspiration and create outstanding environments that not only exude a sense of balance and harmony but also inspire others through the simple act of existing in the same space. This, perhaps, may be Barrys greatest talent.

When Barrys name is mentioned in conversation, the first words that are often expressed typically include charming, gracious, gentleman, and more often than not, all of the above. I have found that there are pretty much only two camps of people when it comes to Barry: those who love him and those who have not yet met him. In getting to know him these past couple of years, it is easy to see why. On their way to a meeting with my brother and me in New York not too long ago, Barry and his associate, Laurel, were caught in a sudden rainstorm, which delayed them slightly. As apologetic as Barry was for being a few minutes late, he was more apologetic to Laurel for not having had the foresight to bring an umbrella with him from Warrenton, Virginia. My mother always told me, You dont carry an umbrella for yourself. You carry it for the lady who is with you, Barry explained. A testament to the wonderful job his parents and family have done, Barry is so well mannered that he manages to bring out the best of those around him. No matter how many times we meet, it still strikes me just how utterly polite and pleasant he is, and how complete and undivided his attention is when engaged in conversation. He has this uncanny ability to make you feel as if you are the most important person in the world at that moment, and deserving of nothing less than the full respect and courtesy that he warmly extends.

This attitude is clearly reflected in Barrys work, as well. It is seen and, more importantly, felt in every room he designs, where even the smallest of details is treated with deliberate consideration and care. Every detail has a story, and every story has its place in revealing the important part it plays in the overall artistic vision. The aesthetic beauty achieved through the thoughtful arrangement of objects and furnishings, each weighted with the history of its unique past, is infused with his endless passion and dedication, and lends an immeasurable and precious gravitas to the atmosphere of every environment he creates. As serious as his work may be, though, it comes across as effortless. Never afraid to drop a pun, it is obvious just how much fun Barry has doing what he does, as the laughs are just as much a part of the process as anything else.

In February of this year, my brother and I had the pleasure of spending a week in Venice with Barry and Laurel for the installation of our newly renovated showroom. The plan was to begin installing on a Monday so that we could open the showroom on Friday. Yet, as is so very often the case with life, the plan and the reality of a situation can be two very different things, and in retrospect, I suspect that Murphy must have been conducting a live demonstration of his law in our showroom that week. Monday morning found us standing in a frigid construction zone, the beauty of our fabrics and the new floors virtually unrecognizable through the layers of dust and power tools, where before us columns were being installed in the wrong place, the stairway was barely half built, the glass was cut to the wrong measurements and the only place the drop ceiling existed was on the drawing. And these were just the issues with the entryway. Throughout all the mishaps and surprises, though, Barry maintained a level of professionalism and grace that was truly inspirational and encouraging. While most people would have been enraged and lost their cool, Barry simply stated, Well, thats not how I drew it, and then found a way to make it work. The eternal optimist, his perseverance never wavered for a moment, and he was right there with us on his hands and knees that Friday evening, scraping plaster and paint off the terrazzo so that we could slide the furniture into place a few minutes shy of midnight and open on schedule.

Through no small feat, Barry managed to make our fabrics appear even more beautiful. By fully embracing the magic and the illustrious history of our founder and craft and masterfully marrying it to our vision and dreams, he provided the perfect platform from which we can tap deeper into our greatest source of pride and inspiration. In looking through the stunning images presented in this book, each more magnificent than the other, I am sure that every person who experiences these exquisite rooms cannot help but be inspired, as well, just as I am sure that Barry was equally inspired by the lives he created them for, their unique history and the distinctive qualities and charms particular to the soul he draws out of every individual place.

Mickey Riad, Vice President & Creative Director, Fortuny, September 2010

Inspiration is everywhere. It lives in the memory of our past, the vibrancy of our present and the possibility of our future. It hides in plain sight in the view outside our window and it sits on a shelf inside our home. It lurks in foreign ports of call and waits patiently in our own backyard. It whispers to us in our dreams and screams at us in our waking moments, urging that moment of glorious combustion when our thoughts collide to spark our imagination. From the hay fields outside my windows, to a trip to exotic Marrakesh, to a treasured cocoa tin from my childhood, the following trio explains three sources of my own inspiration. Look. Think. Create!

The vivid clarity of a now long forgotten dream slowly succumbed to the hazy reality of another summer morning in Fauquier County. A steady drone of modern machinery had lured me from one state of consciousness to another, and I realized that the audio portion of my altered state was actually my friend Ricky cutting the tall grass in the pastures beyond the low stone walls that separate Elway Hall from Elway Farm. Peering through the windows of my bedroom aerie I could chart his progress: long furrowed rivulets of silken strands combed into place by the line of blades in his wake, such order in the concentric curves as he turned a graceful one-eighty to plod a parallel path in the vale.