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issue two
WINTER2009
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issue two
Written by Shawn Gauthier Photography by Miguel Flores Vianna Styled by L
Lauren Goodman
Textile Designer Lisa Fine brings the Indian
culture to her Parisian flat
Growing up in Hattiesburg, Miss., textile
designer Lisa Fine distinctly remembers
an endearing love for both hair ribbons
and the historic home of Jefferson Davis,
even if at the time she couldn’t quite put
her finger on the reasoning.
“I was always in pigtails just so I could wrap my
hair in ribbons,” she remembers, a smile lilting in
her Southern drawl, still intact despite having been
away from the south since college. “And I adored
visits to Biloxi to see Jefferson Davis’ home; I liked
that better than [going to] the local fair.”
These childhood interests may have seemed inconsequential at the tender age of six, although they
both proved to be a bit of a premonition; ribbons
translated into a delving passion for textiles, and
the design of Davis’ former residence launched
Fine’s obsession for home décor. Initially, her postcollegiate career choice sent her seeking out the
world of fashion (she worked at both Mademoiselle
and Mirabelle directly after graduating), but she
soon switched gears and became a contributing
editor to Elle Décor and House Beautiful. Although
the interest had been nesting in her since childhood, it was New York, she claims, that officially
hatched her fascination for interiors.
“There is so much to learn about design [in New
York] if you’re curious,” she says of the city where
she has a studio apartment. “As long as your keep
your eyes open, remain exposed and make an effort
to be meet the right people.”
F
ine often turns
interesting pieces into
lamps as opposed to
buying them as is, but
not when shopping
in Paris. “The French
make the best reading lamps,” she says.
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F
ine and fellow textile designer Carolina
Irving use the same
Chikan embroidery
found on the headboards for Irving &
Fine blouses. “It’s one
of the most popular
summer embroideries,” says Fine.
*Keep your fabrics
fresh by never
letting them look
too matched.
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Paris
is the most perfect contrast
to New York! As much as I love
the constant pace of New York,
Paris allows one to really
appreciate the little things of
day to day life, the outdoor
markets, the local fromagerie,
the cafes and bistros...
in one of the most
beautiful cities in the world.
Paris can really take you back in time.
That’s what I love most.
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C
onstantly inspired, Fine created
the tables on the
sides of the couch
with beaded copies of
geometric tiles, and
the tables directly in
front of the sofa with
copies of the Iznik
tiles (one is a fox, and
the other a lion).
F
ine certainly followed her own advice, exposing herself
to the art and design of worldly cultures and making acquaintances along the way. She quickly developed a distinguished admiration for exotic textiles, particularly from
India, and began designing her own fabrics in accord with
Indian design, including tailor-made headboards that ignited a stir within the design community. She also paired with fellow
textile designer Carolina Irving to open Irving & Fine, turning the foreign prints into peasant blouses for retail; upon its launch, the blouses
flew feverishly off the shelves.
But perhaps the real showcase of Fine’s inexplicable talent for textile design is the transformation of perfectly articulated fabrics into
breathless décor, as is evidenced throughout the guest apartment of
her Seventh arrondissement flat in Paris, where she has shared her
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5
Tips
for Utilizing Fabr cs in your Home
one
Similar to how many designers will start with a rug and then build a room,
choose a fabric to inspire the space and work from there.
two
Place special fabrics in unexpected places or ways, such as creating lampshades out of saris.
three
Add a pop of unexpected color within the patterns, perhaps on a chair or pillow.
four
Mix different techniques from all over the world, including
blockprint, ikat, tie-dye, antique woven fabrics, etc.
five
Mix different textures, like old tapestries or rugs.
*Market finds for little
money can be as stylish
as expensive antiques
time (along with Manhattan) for the past six years.
Calling the purchase of the initial flat a “fluke,” she
saw the place before it went on the market and was
instantly moved to buy, investing in the neighboring guest house a few years later.
T
he first project Fine tackled in the
guest apartment involved reworking the interior space structurally;
she changed the kitchen into the
bathroom, and the living room into
the master bedroom. Her thought
was to create the perfect “hotel suite atmosphere”
by keeping the kitchen at a minimal space while
maintaining the emphasis on the leisure spaces.
After the renovation was complete, the apartment boasted a stunningly spacious master bed
and bath, along with a sitting room and additional
guest bedroom. The bones were set in stone, and
Fine set out to perfect the décor.
Not surprisingly, fabric proved to be Fine’s main
source of inspiration as she moved her way through
the guest apartment, envisioning each room with
its own distinct personality. In fact, the master bedroom, guest bedroom and sitting room each hold
privy to their own individually thematic textiles, all
hand-picked from India and designed by Fine herself. When it comes to choosing textiles for her own
spaces, Fine finds herself drawn to a wide variety of
fabrics. “I gravitate toward most any textile as long
as I like it,” she says, “anything from embroideries to
ikats, block prints to solids – I truly love them all.”
Both bedrooms are wallpapered spectacularly in
fabric that is handblock-printed on silk; the guest
bedroom was inspired by the flowers in the popular
Tree of Life designs, whereas the master one (Fine’s
favorite room, in close competition with the bathroom) features a pattern inspired by a Persian tapestry, block-printed with white curry and gold on
silk saris. Above the master bed is one of Fine’s own
headboard designs, a white-on-white Chikan embroidery (created only by the women of Lucknow)
that is one of the most feminine and elegant embroideries available, according to Fine. The room
is laden in soft washes of pink, one of her favorite
colors; she also loves reds, indigos and curries.
I gravitate toward most any
textile as long as I like it,
anything from embroideries to
ikats, block prints to solids –
I truly love them all.
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*Never be victim of
trends. If modern is in style and
you love Victorian,
go Victorian. Style
is an expression of
yourself and not
what fashion dictates.
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A Kutch embroidery enraptures the sitting room, a beautifully
sunny space that carries a breath of freshness and warmth
through a variety of rich colors and a mixture of contemporary
and vintage pieces. An Indian Pakistan embroidery, it is often
done with mirrors, and Irving & Fine uses the same textile on
their coats and peasant tops. “It’s a pattern I absolutely adore,”
says Fine, “so much that I couldn’t help but do my entire living
room in it.”
The master bathroom is the only room not inspired by a specific fabric, but it certainly does not take away from the inviting nature the apartment as a whole exudes. Outfitted with
an old-fashioned tub and sink, Fine finished the floor in white
marble edged in black and the walls in pink wainscot. The
space has a touch of art deco, and carries the quaint hotelesque sophistication Fine was striving for.
F
ine literally made almost
all décor-related items
in her apartment herself
(all materials were handpicked from India), with
the exception of her West
Elm table, banquette made in Paris,
a rug from Kashgar, China, and the
two red chairs in her sitting room,
which were constructed in Africa
from tomato cans. The project took
her several years, and she’s always
on the lookout for additional accessories to add extra life to her space. A
big fan of perusing unique finds at Indian markets and not afraid to apply
clever tricks, she collected a series of
Indian miniatures which were copies of the authentic antique versions,
and then framed all in bone so they
appeared to comprise an expensive
collection.
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M
ost
recently, Fine
launched a
new fabric
line inspired
by Persian,
Indian and Turkish designs, which can
be found at Sulleli and Hollywood Home
in LA. She also loves flowers, and turns to
Persian miniatures and Indian Palampores for additional inspiration. Not one
to shy from opportunity, she actually
used the decoration of her guest home
as a method of experimentation for the
line, taking into consideration how the
fabrics and patterns worked amongst
one another. The latter is evidence that
Fine is talented not only in creating patterns, but in pairing them as well.
Five Favorite Shops
Georgia Tapert Living
New York - SoHo
Bungalow 8
Mumbai, India
D. Popli & Sons
Mumbai, India
Indian Textiles at the
City Palace Museum
Jaipur, India
Mehmet Cetinkaya
Arasta Bazaar, India
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*Don’t be afraid to be
passionate about what
you love. If you love
pink, do all pinks
and reds. If you
love camels,
collect
camels.
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Designing and decorating the guest home took
about three years, but it now successfully reflects
what Fine refers to as a “cozy apartment that
doesn’t feel like you’re in the city,” a re-invention of
Indian aesthetics within a charming Parisian courtyard. Though the home is mostly complete from a
décor standpoint, Fine is always seeking further
inspiration, most commonly on her trips to India,
where the culture, energy and artistic beauty she
encounters fuel her imagination for the next textile
pattern.
“Traveling in India is a never-ending journey and
education in textile,” she says. “The colors of India
are a constant surprise; each trip I discover another
beautiful color combination or shade.” r
Get the look with
Lisa’s textiles...
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*Learn to love research.
The more you see the
more your eye and
taste evolves.
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