The Under-rated World of Whimsy
Posted by: Realestock.Staff in London, inspiration, Fun, China, Ab Rogers on Jan , 2011
Interior design can be very, very boring. I’ve spent many hours trolling home design websites and I’ve seen countless posts and comments advising people to hide action figure collections and children’s toys. Everyone is embracing grey, mid-century lines and ultra-modern designs... The only problem with this? It’s totally boring!
While I’m a fan of clean lines and a clutter free environment, I hate, hate, hate it when everyone is telling you to make your house look the same - cold, sterile and too modern. Where’s the personality? Where’s the sense of fun? Shouldn’t design be for the people who live there, not the people who just visit?
Basically, I want some whimsy and creativity to come back into our homes, and it looks like British Architect Ab Rogers has answered my call.
He’s designed what he calls The Rainbow House. It’s a West London Townhouse with some actual personality - a rainbow of colours, secret passages, rotating beds and even a secret slide to take you from the master bedroom to the living room in a “blast of joy”. It’s a dream come true for kids and adults who still think like kids. The Sunday Times called it “a playground for adults”, and I can’t think of a better description.
As you can see from the picture, it's bright, but not insane. The colourful blasts of the house are counterbalanced by lots of white, lots of crisp design and a fairly good dose of minimalism. It's the restraint that really helps the colours and the crazy design stand out and it's a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Great design that's not afraid to have fun, take risks and do things that are a little bit weird. We need more of this in my opinion.
Of course, talking about The Rainbow house doesn't do it much justice - watch the video at Plastolux, or read the original Sunday Times article here.
So, while your cup of tea might not be ultra clean design broken up by delightful pops of powerful colour, I assure you, that some of us in the world - who still appreciate a little whimsy in our lives, are head over heels in love with the Rainbow House.
If you do think you’re brave enough to embrace the Rainbow, the townhouse can be rented for the princely sum of £3,500 a week. Not cheap, but isn’t it a small price to pay to re-capture some of the thrill of childhood?
Picture: The Sunday Times
