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Inspired By: Annabelle Selldorf
Not everyone is looking for wow factor in their interior design, which is why German-born architect Annabelle Selldorf has such a huge following.
Relatively unknown in the UK, Annabelle has built a strong reputation in the USA for designing beautifully understated buildings and interiors that ooze class and sophistication.
The Selldorf method
An architect by trade, Annabelle has often found herself combining architecture with interior design – something not uncommon among designers with strong ideas. Her builds tend to emphasise space, light and air, so it seemed a natural extension for her to complete all aspects of her projects.
You won’t find many bold colours or extravagant furnishings in a Selldorf interior. Instead, she focuses on monochrome palettes and functionality with her own elegant and restrained take on modernism. It takes a touch of genius to use such stark colours without turning a living space into a cold and unwelcoming room devoid of character, but she manages it time after time.
She’s not afraid to use colour, but it’s never the star of the show. Colour is added to soften her interiors (often in the form of a sofa or chairs) and create anchors, which brings us to one of her key principles...
Annabelle Selldorf wastes nothing: every room is masterfully thought out and everything in it is functional and compliments the design to create spaces full of… space!
Learning from Annabelle
Now that we’ve explored how Annabelle does it, it’s time to offer some tips on how you can bring some of this spacious modernism into your interior design project:
Light is everything! Let as much light as possible into your living spaces by throwing away old net curtains and keeping your windows clean.
Remove all the clutter from your house – it’s impossible to create a sophisticated space if you have junk all over the floor and clothes strewn all over the furniture.
Use light greys for the walls and white ceilings to create a simple neutral palette.
Rip up those old carpets and sand your floorboards for a clean and modern look.
Use one or two large abstract canvas prints to add some colour and interest.
Colour match your sofa or chairs to the canvas prints or vice versa!
Follow these simple design ideas and your home will soon have that minimal modernist style that Annabelle Selldorf has made her own!
