In the age of mass production and in a world where global trends homogenise retail, individuality in an interior context is something that you need to consciously strive for. Without injecting personality and uniqueness into a space, the risk is that it comes out looking like everyone else’s. Luckily there are a number of ways to incorporate design that speaks to identity into your rooms.
Uniqueness in our dNA
Within our broad product portfolio, is an emphasis on uniqueness. Each item is handpicked or custom designed by founder Sumari Krige herself, and invariably has an interesting back story or experience attached to it. These pieces are made all over the world – sourced at crafters’ markets, in antique stores and made by artisan who have been honing their skills for generations.
Handmade pieces are by default one-offs – there can be no two identical items when they’re carved, or crafted by an artist or artisan. And therein lies a lot of their appeal. La Grange has an appreciation for pieces that tell a story. And even those pieces that aren’t one-off and form part of a collection has been chosen for its commitment to craft and quality.
Statement furniture
The art to setting your space apart comes down to avoiding a cut-and-paste approach at all costs. You can do this in a number of ways. Consider for a start – your furniture. As the most foundational, and largest, items in your rooms, these set the tone for the rest of the scheme. When choosing these pieces, you have an opportunity to inject personality.
Rather than buying all your seating from one range for example, consider including unusual or eye-catching occasional chairs, stools, benches and chaises longues. District 8’s Lodge chair and Stilt chaise offer a contemporary take on minimalist style, while 101 Copenhagen’s Kamodo chair is an immediate conversation starter that holds the space. As far as surfaces go – the Vicenza console table offers visual impact and craftmanship in spades.
Made by hand
Once the fundamentals have been established, the next step is to look at how best to layer the space so that is has character. Here, materials play a big role. Glazed pottery, blown glass, moulded steel, hand-carved wood – these finishes and techniques mean that every piece varies from one to another. Accessories and objects like this – crafted by hand using natural materials – are a fool-proof way to add depth to a room. Through them you can introduce character, texture and interest instantly (and in a way that can also be updated with ease).
Sumari’s sourcing has a heavy emphasis on the handmade – objects that are both functional and decorative that you can’t find anywhere else.
Artwork – the finising touch
The final layer that often pulls the look together is artwork. This is where a ‘one-off’ really packs a punch. Original artwork, limited editions, or artists prints ensure that an interior space steers as far away as possible from anything resembling generic.
This is also where you can let your personal taste and style shine. Consider different media – oil, acrylic, sculpture, watercolour, photography collage – and how these lend themselves to the rest of the scheme.