IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 39

Hong Kong, China restaurant
Gough's on Gough, designed by
Timothy Oulton, strives to create a
romantic sensory overload.

Maximalism might be all
about the search for authenticity,
but it also is catnip for social
media.
"We can't underestimate the
influence of Instagram," Pinatih
says. "Bold prints, sculptures,
and flower arrangements in
striking colors are easier to
capture within the frame of a
smartphone than stark, open
space interiors. The more
photogenic nooks an interior
has, the better it will do on
Instagram and Pinterest."
That also goes for details
such as tableware: "Restaurants
and hotels are increasingly
buying into collections for their
Instagram factor," she said.
"We tell our clients that with
everything they do, they should
consider whether designs will
photograph well."

Photo by: Timothy Oulton Studio

Maxed Out?

Home Studios founder Oliver Haslegrave, for example,
has said the richness of the design of Bibo Ergo Sum is
"meant to create an experience as transportive as a trip
to the cinema." And indeed, the Los Angeles, California,
USA-based bar serves up décor as posh as its drinks,
tapping into everything from teardrop-shaped wall lights
to entrance columns inspired by the Siena Cathedral.
Timothy Oulton also likes to pile it on-but with
purpose.
"For me, it's creatively much more interesting to make
inspiring, richly layered spaces with lots of personality,"
he says. "A space that just looks pretty won't stand the
test of time-it needs to have meaning. People want to
feel connected with their surroundings."
With Oulton's work on Hong Kong, China restaurant
Gough's on Gough, "we wanted to create somewhere for
the ultimate romantic night out-a sensory overload," he
said. "As soon as you walk in you want to touch and stroke
everything. We call it 'eyes first, hearts second.'" The
two-story restaurant features marble flooring and walls
laid in a Roman optical pattern, spiral steps in moonstone
marble and brass, accents of reclaimed English timber
and tufted leather, and an art deco-inspired bar with
herringbone glass and brass panels.

The big question is whether
this exuberant, rule-breaking
approach to design will endure.
Cost is bound to be a concern for some clients. Does
more merch mean more money?
"Of course some of our stuff is expensive," Oulton
says, like the 1.5-ton rose quartz crystal from Africa that
serves as the reception desk at 1880, a members' club in
Singapore he recently worked on.
But that's not necessarily always the case. "When we
refitted the Blue Room at the Los Angeles Athletic Club,
we layered the walls with all the vintage artwork we found
in their basement."
Whether or not the most extreme versions of
maximalism endure is still to be decided. But there always
will be a place for a highly individual approach to creative
expression and for spaces that tell compelling stories,
which is the crux of what this style is about, Pinatih
says. "The best examples of maximalism keep a sense of
narrative and provenance, providing history and relevance
to the concept while also retaining individuality."
For now, though, push aside German industrial
engineer H.C. Dieter Rams' maxim that "good design is
as little design as possible." The mantra of the moment
comes from postmodern architect Robert Venturi: "Less
is a bore." n

summer 2018

perspective

39



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018

IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018
From IIDA
Contents
Next
World View
Sum of Its Parts
Talk, Talk
Data Viz
Pre/Post
I Design
Every Where Has a Why
More Than Meets the Eye
To The Max
Picture It
DNA of a Design Firm
Scratch Pad
Insider Intel
IIDA News + Updates
Why This Design Works
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - Cover2
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - From IIDA
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - Contents
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 3
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 4
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 5
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - Next
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 7
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 8
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 9
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - World View
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 11
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - Sum of Its Parts
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 13
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - Talk, Talk
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - Data Viz
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - Pre/Post
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 17
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - I Design
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 19
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - Every Where Has a Why
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 21
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 22
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 23
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 24
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 25
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - More Than Meets the Eye
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 27
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 28
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 29
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 30
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 31
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 32
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 33
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - To The Max
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 35
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 36
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 37
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 38
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 39
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - Picture It
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 41
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 42
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 43
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - DNA of a Design Firm
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 45
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 46
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 47
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 48
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 49
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - Scratch Pad
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 51
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - Insider Intel
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 53
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - IIDA News + Updates
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - 55
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - Why This Design Works
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - Cover3
IIDA Perspective - Summer 2018 - Cover4
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