Love It or Hate It? '80s-Inspired Minimalism

August 21, 2009

Flashbacks to the '80s can be tough to pull off, especially when it comes to interior design. But I am strangely drawn to this photo of Fenton/Fallon's new jewelry showroom in NYC. The line's designer, Dana Lorenz, was inspired by the townhouse inhabited by Sigourney Weaver's character in Working Girl, complete with a Patrick Nagel lithograph and lip-smacking chair. Is it working for you?

15 Comments

3 years 36 weeks

"80s minimalism is an oxymoron. the era is characterized by excess." Actually, characterizing any decade or era (with it's clothing design, graphic design, furniture design, architectural design, domestic design, etc.) with one word is oxymoronic. The overall design of the 1980's was incredibly minimalist, similar to the 1920's and early 1960's (and unlike the late 1960's, 1970's, and 2000's). But you're right in that the excess apparant in the 80's was BEHAVIORAL, and fortunately for this lover of streamlined design, not compositional.

karen zoo 3 years 38 weeks

I like it. But I'd never want to come home to it. It feels too much like a museum, it's too minimalistic and not in a nice clean way.

KristinDaBomb 3 years 38 weeks

Love it.

KristinDaBomb 3 years 38 weeks

Love it.

califab 3 years 38 weeks

80s minimalism is an oxymoron. the era is characterized by excess.

cirrus1701 3 years 38 weeks

The whole Patrick Nagel look just screams 80's to me. I did look at a website for him, just out of curiosity. He died of a heart attack at age 38. Made me stop for a moment. :(

GlowingMoon 3 years 38 weeks

I agree -- this interior does not work. It's hodge-podge. None of the pieces (or surface materials) relate to each other. In minimalism, there needs to be a relationship (in shape, texture, size, colors, or some combination thereof) of the pieces and surface materials. This interior is too disconnected.

GlowingMoon 3 years 38 weeks