Devon&Devon Bathroom Designs
12 October 2009
“As Time Goes By”
I think what most interests me about Devon&Devon bathroom designs is their propensity for doing something that is both traditional and different. They take as their creed the idea of rebuilding that which went before, stating that, “The Devon&Devon brand name was born from an idea to re-create the bathroom as inspired by the characteristics and atmosphere from the Victorian era to the first half of the 1900s.” But what I find particularly intriguing about this concept is that it’s a design philosophy that is evergreen.
One of the things we find ourselves saying about previous design schemes (the current revival of Retro Fifties Décor immediately comes to mind) is that it’s so “out” it’s “in” again. But unless you love that particular theme above all others, you are pretty much guaranteed to eventually tire of it. The problem with reviving something as notorious for kitsch as the Fifties Décor is that the whole impetus to do so is, if you think it through, just another fad, not unlike the one that produced that sort of décor in the first place. The colors will lose favor—again—and the design concept will fade away—again. It’s because it’s a fad, and fads die.
However, down through the centuries there have been a number of design concepts that never really seem to lose their impact and never really seem passé. If I can put this in different terms altogether, the sculpture of Bernini has always struck me as rather mannered, in fitting with the Rocco period in which he worked, whereas the sculpture of Michelangelo is so classic in its design and execution that it seems timeless.
I think the same may be said of many of the design elements in the Victorian era that inspired Devon&Devon to create the black lacquered vanity we’ve featured here. Cabriole legs and bombé fronts are timeless designs that have captured the imagination of generation after generation of designers, of course, but these are particularly apt elements for a master bathroom that has been designed as the retreat it can be if only it is approached with a bit of imagination. There is something both sensuous and sensual in these sinuous lines, and the execution of the piece itself—with its polished black lacquer, highly polished legs, and clear crystal drawer pulls—brings to it an element of uncompromised luxury, as do its many options. This vanity is available with a choice of Carrara, Nero Marcquinha or Afyon Bianco marble tops.
Devon&Devon takes as their mission the creation of “a bathroom habitat decisively characterized in its style, inspired by the more well-bred and refined European traditions, recognizable by its attraction to the past, unaltered by time in its absolute originality.” The song writer was right, you know, the fundamental things apply. Always.
Joseph
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One Response to “Devon&Devon Bathroom Designs”
October 12th, 2009 at 6:29 PM
Joseph, do you think if I wait a while longer my popcorn ceilings will come back in vogue?
Very nice designs even if they are not something I would want for my own home. That’s also interesting tile beneath the lower vanity. It has a 3-dimensional quality about it.
Joe