In the BOH series What I Love, we’re asking designers to build us a mood board of what’s inspiring them right now.
Craftsmanship reigns supreme for Heather Menegat. The studio director at Berkeley- and New York–based design firm Landed Interiors & Homes has a keen eye for one-of-a-kind, hand-forged items that reveal something about their owners—and the artisans that made them.
Take, for example, her current mood board, a collaboration with Landed project designer Tiffany Kim for a San Francisco project. The duo incorporates everything from handcrafted, brutalist glassware by The Long Confidence to a bespoke Momoko Otani pottery piece to suit their clients’ unique personalities. “They’re a pair of thoughtful, travel-loving bookworms who aren’t afraid to embrace color and eclecticism,” says Menegat. “They also have an appreciation for narrative and the imperfect perfection of the handmade, so their aesthetic ethos is pretty aligned with ours.”
The final scheme is equal parts interesting and inviting, filled with rich hues, tactile textures and, of course, idiosyncratic artisan-made items. “We were inspired by spaces that one can get lost in—rooms that are impossible to fully absorb in a glance, make you want to run your fingers over its surfaces, and encourage going back for a second or fifth look,” she says. “We aimed to build a composition that feels both timeworn and fresh, with objects that want to tell you their stories.”
Here, Menegat breaks down the details, from sage green velvet to a brass incense burner.
1. BLACK WALNUT SAMPLE BY BLACK CREEK MERCANTILE & TRADING CO.
“Many of our favorite makers are nerdy, artsy craftspeople who are fastidious about the details and care about getting things right. BCMT has this in spades, and this generously sized sample shows the walnut to its advantage while highlighting their gorgeous finishing work.”
2. ONE-OF-A-KIND OVAL SGRAFFITO CASE BY MOMOKO OTANI OF OTANI POTTERY STUDIO
“Momoko Otani, whose husband, Tetsuya, throws his own exquisite pottery, is an exceptionally skilled ceramicist. She marries texture, color, line and shape in a soulful way that is elegant and charming.”
3. SULKING ROOM PINK PAINT BY FARROW & BALL
“We’ll admit to being obsessed with paint whose tint and tone shifts throughout the day, and Farrow & Ball makes some of the best. Is it pinky brown or browny pink?”
4. VERDURE FLAMANDE FABRIC IN ROUGE VERT BY PIERRE FREY
“This fabric’s coloring creeps toward fluorescent in the sun, bringing a dancing playfulness to a sturdy weave that could otherwise feel historical and serious. We appreciate the way it seems to bend time.”
5. LITTLE SLEEPY BRONZE RED FOX BY WILLIAM ROBERTS FOR THE PARSON’S NOSE ANTIQUES
“Our studio holds functionality and pragmatism in high regard, but it’s also nice to have things around just because they make you smile.”
6. AMERICAN BLACK WALNUT SAMPLE IN MIDNIGHT BLUE BY SAWKILLE CO.
“Sawkille Co. is one of many reasons why upstate New York’s woodworking scene is hard to beat. The deep indigo stain on this walnut is entrancing.”
7. BOTTLE BROWN TILE IN GLOSSY BY MOTAWI TILEWORKS
“Motawi’s glazes are top-notch—they’re deliciously complex and varied. This one makes us think of crème brûlée; we’re planning to install it around a fireplace.”
8. PEACOCK PLANT
“When has a well-loved plant ever made a room feel worse? As long as our clients have the capacity to care for them, we try to incorporate plants in our projects.”
9. COTTON VELVET FABRIC IN LOTUS BY ROSE UNIACKE
“The springy green of this luxurious and subtly textured cotton velvet feels enlivening, and will provide a soft place for the eye to rest in the room. Negative space is important too.”
10. CUSTOM TWIG AND BERRIES PAPERWEIGHT BY SHAWN LOVELL METALWORKS
“One day, Shawn told me and Tiffany that we could go through her ‘junk pile’ and see if we wanted anything. I pulled something out, and she tinkered with it until it became this paperweight, which now resides on my desk at our Berkeley studio.”
11. SHINJI FABRIC IN 04 BY ZAK+FOX
“We were touched by this loving homage to Zak [Profera]’s beloved dog, Shinji. Our studio prizes quilted textiles for their homey tactility, and the story behind this one reveals a poignant beauty that amplifies its artistry.”
12. MIXER BY THE LONG CONFIDENCE
“Lynn [Kloythanomsup], our studio’s founder and principal designer, befriended Rafi Ajl of The Long Confidence years ago, and we are lucky to now count him as a friend of Landed. His workshop is a trove of curiosities and experimentation, including the mesmerizing pieces from this glassware collection, which beg to be left where they can catch the sun.”
13. LIGHT PATINA BRASS RANGE HOOD FINISH SAMPLE BY BERLIN FOOD & LAB EQUIPMENT COMPANY
“We generally prefer to specify living finishes that show their age and use over time, but it can take a while before they reach the soft and forgiving look that we admire. Berlin’s patinating techniques give metal finishes on our projects an appreciated boost in that department.”
14. INCENSE PEDESTAL STAND BY YUKA ARII FOR KASAHARA SHOUNDO CO. AT NALATA NALATA
“Intricately detailed and beautifully crafted, this incense burner emits a pleasant ringing tone when its halves ping against one another. Heeding a cue from one of our north stars, Ilse Crawford, we take pleasure in considering all the senses when we’re designing.”
15. FLOOR & PATIO PAINT IN ETIQUETTE AF-50 BY BENJAMIN MOORE
“Our Berkeley studio is located in a historic brick warehouse, and Lynn had its floors painted in the beginning of 2017. This hue infuses a worn yet durable warmth that reinforces a guiding principle in our studio: When new design is executed in conversation with existing architecture, it feels at home.”
