For our latest mood board, we decided to take inspiration from none other than the works of Gae Aulenti. Aulenti was a famous Italian architect and designer with an eclectic and diverse career. From industrial and exhibition design to graphics and interior, there were few areas she didn’t explore. While best known for her work with the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, our mood board draws inspiration from her furniture collection. In particular, our vision stemmed from this distinctive 1964 chair design that became characteristic of Aulenti’s innovative style.
According to Aulenti, she felt furniture should never dominate a room. From looking at this piece, this belief in this is clear. The low-slung frame made with rounded metal is soft and comfortable, enveloping the room in alluring playfulness. Made from fabric and soft padding, the seat is also minimal yet large and inviting. The chairs have a distinctive retro feel from their curved shape, heightened by the bullseye-like circular fabric pattern. Aulenti has got the balance between capturing your attention without dominating it perfectly. Her Locus Solus 1964 chairs for Poltronova are practical, playful, and unique.
As a backdrop for this Gae Aulenti-inspired mood board, we made a retro carpet by recoloring Beat by Ege Carpets. The concentric pattern mimics the fabric used in the 1964 chair. Additionally, Aulenti’s design works with primary colors, and our retro carpet takes on these tones in more quiet, muted hues. We also love the morphed circular shapes in the print. They almost replicate the shape of the steel frame in the side profile, adding the same element of irresistible playfulness.
On top of our retro carpet, we layered several other complementing products. Contrasting directly with the carpet we layered Cubism by Standard Textile. The geometric shapes and angular lines juxtapose the fluidity of the retro carpet. However, thanks to similar red and yellow tones, the two work well in combination. Moreover, this material is slightly brighter and fresher, more alike to the colors worked into the original chair design. Tucson Coral: 5 by Benjamin Moore further adds brightness. By using these three products alone already we have a full spectrum of tones, from a dusky deep red through to bright and playful coral.
The rest of the products used in the mood board are quiet. This acts as an ode to Aulenti’s belief that no one item in the room should assume dominance. Chiffon by Silver State Inc. and Domino Subway Tile Beveled by MSI are pale and bright. They add lightness and space to the room, just as the chair’s white base allowed the pattern to shine. Shia by Richloom Contract and Claridge Glass by Claridge, although both taking on yellow tones, don’t overpower the palette. The former is interspersed with white for a softer effect, while the latter’s transparency prevents it from dominating.
If you love the retro carpet used for our backdrop, you may be interested in our Easy Recolor Program. It enables you to recolor any of our carpet patterns to the colors of your choice and visualize the final result online. This way, you can produce the perfect carpet for your next commercial interior project. When designing your carpet, choose from nine different substrates and receive your personalized sample within five business days. At an affordable price and with no minimum order, start designing your carpet today. As always, you can get in touch with our team for help.
PRODUCTS USED:
Beat RECOLORED by ege carpets
Cubism by Standard Textile
Domino Subway Tile Beveled by MSI
Claridge Glass by Claridge
Shia by Richloom Contract
Tucson Coral: 5 by Benjamin Moore
Flow by Gerflor
Chiffon by Silver State Inc.
