Sometimes antique Victorian furniture can become the inspiration for something that isn’t exactly Victorian.
The Hartford Courant ran an article two days ago about a couple who left their suburban home in favor of a downtown condo. They bought the condo on the basis of architectural drawings alone but were depressed when they actually saw it. It was smaller than they thought.
They hired a designer to expand the sense of size and otherwise make the condo reflect their own tastes. The result, from the one photo provided, is colorful, contemporary and chic.
The starting point for the whole design, however, was a Victorian sofa handed down from the woman’s grandmother, a sofa with a “curving spine and petite proportions.” They chose a fabric, reupholstered the sofa, and allowed the rest of the condo’s design to follow. The overall effect is not exactly Victorian, as I mentioned. But it’s quite striking.
And it’s interesting to think that such a contemporary design could flow from the curving spine of a Victorian antique.
You’ll find the article on this colorful condo and its inspirational sofa here.