Good day, SNOOPS.
Not one for ‘trend reports’, and I feel obliged to warn that florals are on the brink of a major resurgence. I say “warn” so you can either avert your eyes for a few years or send off the side chair for a Svenskt Tenn reupholstering1.
There is no ‘beginning’ to florals – how the hell could there be? The flower predates us, and surely as swiftly as Homo was Erectus, we were able to identify the decorative capacity of flowers. FOR SCALE presents a brief history of flowers and, subsequently, Florals through some culture-shifting highs and lows, followed by evidence of a new peak. (With help from our Floral Correspondent, Stewart Bean.)
[N.B. TO FOR SCALE: FLORALS ARE PRINTS, SHAPES, AND EVEN ACTUAL FLOWERS.]
AN OVERSIMPLIFIED HISTORY OF FLORALS: PEAKS AND TROUGHS
Peak —— “Time immemorial”–1st century CE: We’re talking the Terrestrial Paradise, pre-sin flower realm through to the end of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Flowers are architecture
Trough —— 1346-1901: Bubonic Plague era, a.k.a. Global P**demic 1.0. Flowers ward of stench of decomposing bodies; humanity super grateful, but ultimately FOR SCALE does not equate utility with desirability (though sometimes they intersect). Little evidence of flowers in design and decor, d’uh
Peak [SPECIAL MENTION] –– 1910-1949, Art Deco. Ultimately we’re not 100% ready for this to be a reference again (personally). But, it was chic.
Peak —— 1969: Spiegel Publishing House in Hamburg, design by a likely always-high Dane, Vernon Panton. Florals are at peak, psychedelic abstraction. Thought: full commitment to a theme is *required* for Monument Status interiors (or else, how can “so much” also feel like a singular thing?)
Trough –– 1996, a swift floral decline from prev. peak: Anne Geddes, despite the Garden of Eden vibe about it. Florals are gimmick
Approaching new peak –– Today. Even though in the hallowed halls of whatever design fair, florals are still often derided. Is this the patriarchy in action? Probably. But also, we have – for some years – mistaken modernity and minimalism for beige, as if the only place for floral stuff was Storybook dinnerware or sweetie pie Little Girl bedrooms. Yet, there is evidence of a shift.
[1] [PEAK] Terrestrial Paradise,“Eve in the Garden of Eden” by best-at-nature should-be-a-textile-print-too artist Henri Rousseau (1910)
[2] [TROUGH] Manet goes full posy for “Bouquet of Violets” (1872), lead image for the hard-hitting NYtimes’ 2020 exposé on the posy renaissance. Again, thank you to flowers, but a skippable era
[3] [PEAK] Verner Panton’s Speigel Publising House. Peep the crazed Bolero-level repetition of the Spiegel Lamp (🔥 *LISTING ALERT* L.A.’s own Basa Vintage selling some Panton-esque wall stuff here.)
[4] [TROUGH] Anne Geddes. No comment.
Some recent FLORAL LISTINGS: UPHOLSTERY EDITION
(All *Los Angeles* located.)
1 Floral B&B Italia Baia modular sofa by Antonio Citterio & Paolo Nava (A-List design action here). Kind of gives Alice in Wonderland Oval Office – wacky but also conservative?
Sold by MIDCENTURYLA the unbeatable David Pierce
2 More modular florals: a 1950s sofa + slipper chair set, with fantastic 1980s reupholstery. This whole shebang *is* or *was* only $1000, which is an absurdly good deal for an entire room’s worth of seating (and only one arm between ‘em 💪)
Sold by EEIS.
3 Sectional Sofa by Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates. RETHINK WHAT “FLORAL” MEANS, my friends – here we have colors, petal-like cushions, curves. Fourteen and a half feet, ample personal space almost guaranteed.
Sold by downtown legends Vintage on Point.
BONUS To prove that this isn’t purely passé, may I present a recent contribution to the canon by quite trendy made-in-L.A. L.A. Door, the work of Katie Payne and Doug McCollough:
Yes, RECLINERS. Though FOR SCALE does not typically advocate for The Recliner, L.A. Door showed up with one to an exhibition of design at Silver Lake’s VDL II House (by Richard Neutra, a Top Tier midcentury archi), put together by the gallerists of Marta.
WHY FLORALS?
THE PSYCHOLOGY:
Are we not exhausted by resilience? Don’t we want and *need* softness and comfort?
Do we not wish for the discipline to always face the sun, as the sunflower? Or the decadence of the Corpse Flower to bloom only once a decade, and when you do, to be kind of horrible to be around, smell-wise?
Of course florals can be severe or deranged (RECALL: Panton’s Spiegel Publishing House florals), but ultimately, they are fairly chill. Or at least the ultimate reference is fairly chill. (Exceptions of violent flowers: spiky, smelly, parasitic)
ONWARD AND UPWARD – A REPORT FROM OUR FLORAL CORRESPONDENT STEWART BEAN
Tireless Floral Observer, Stewart Bean of North Carolina and New York City, has prepared for us a foursome of petalled picks from his TRAVELS, WARDROBE, AND WEB SURFING:
[1] GRANADA, SPAIN. Floral to walk all over
[2] J.W. ANDERSON FOR UNIQLO FLORAL SOCK. Floral to walk *in*
[3] JOAN DIDION’S CHAIRS! *AVAILABLE AT AUCTION* (16 NOV 2022) Florals to sit your butt on
[4] RESTROOM IN SPAIN. Micro florals to sit your butt *next to*
AND FINALLY, FLORAL TANGENTIALS (INCL. READING LIST)
[1] The MARALUNGA SOFA (by Magistretti) we see more and more of, and we’re not pissed. FOR SCALE Snoop Star, Joseph R, has an excellent example in his home. STYLE TIP: Maralunga should be worn-in. (Also filed under “gotta be worn in”: the WASSILY)
Maralunga’s flappable back cushions are very petalesque. SEE TIKTOK for FLAPPING IN ACTION.
[2] READING LIST:
DERYCK HEALEY “The New Art Of Floral Design” (1986), recently sold by EXCEPTIONAL purveyor of used books (*UK based*) Look Books
VANLIGE BLOMSTER (“ORDINARY FLOWERS”) (2022) by Norwegian photog Thomas Ekström (Thanks to Floral Associate, Thea Urdal for peeping this one)
(NOTHING BUT) FLOWERS (2022) (title is a Talking Heads ref) recently peeped in the very good gift shop at the H*mmer in Los Angeles.
Absolutely lovely. I’m in love with your writing.