Roche Bobois, Fendi Casa, & Other Home Designers Putting a '70s Spin on Furniture
By Charlyne Varkoni Schaub
Miami designers Robert Brown and Todd Davis say channeling is a new spin on 1970s design that makes Magic City homes even more chic.
Photo || via Ocean Drive Magazine
Clockwise from top far left: "The square tubular vase, with varying metal finish colors, is sculptural and functional." Designed by C+B Lefebvre, the Orgue vase features nine glossy aluminum prisms. Roche Bobois ($570). 450 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables, 305-444-1017; Fendi Casa’s Astoria bed features vertical channels in velvet and satin on a padded headboard. Fendi Casa (price on request). Luxury Living Miami, Miami Design District, 90 NE 39th St., 305-438-1660; The Duet, a classic skirted banquette with channel back, is available in four standard widths with a choice of plain, tufted, or channel upholstery. Kravet (price on request). Design Center of the Americas, 1855 Griffin Road, Dania Beach, 954-920-4735; The Ibiza armchair sits on a brass curved base with ice-blue channeled upholstery and “is based on a loungey 1970s style.” Modshop ($1,795). 6101 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 786-409-3148; “We would use this stunning modern-style sofa in a less formal setting such as a den or casual living room.” Restoration Hardware ($3,495–$4,995). Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Blvd., 305-935-1253; Roberto Tapinassi and Maurizio Manzoni designed the Odea four-seat sofa and matching side chair with wide-channel back in Sole fabric. Roche Bobois (from $6,490). 450 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables, 305-444-1017; “This is a fun and funky table that almost looks like a sculpture,” says Brown of this Drummond pull-up table with antique silver finish. Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams ($775). 3800 N. Miami Ave., Miami, 786-609-9920
“I see ’70s inspiration as an option that people can integrate into their [interior] design. It is becoming recognized as a significant design period,” says Miami-based designer Robert Brown of Brown Davis Interiors. But this time around, the colors are more subdued, such as the purple chairs the firm created for a penthouse dining room in Miami Beach. Brown prefers horizontal channels because they remind him of the horizon, a look that is soothing and relaxing.
Brown Davis Interiors, which was named to the prestigious AD 100, has designed the British Embassy in Washington, DC, as well as Hillary and Bill Clinton’s homes in Washington and Chappaqua, New York. Recent projects include designing the entire floor of a penthouse in Miami Beach and houses in New York, Washington, DC, and Delaware. Last year, they launched the Brown Davis Exclusive for Keith Frit fine furniture collection that is sold at the John Rosselli showroom at the Design Center of the Americas in Dania Beach.