Her design was simple, stylish and unique: a modern-day nomadic dining environment that began with her intrigue with the concept of a yurt.
From the original yurt concept, Alexandra began to form the idea of a stylish nomadic, modern-day dining environment. Something that you could set-up on a moment's notice, and still fete in style. Her finished design was a wonderful blend of high and low: decadent fabrics comprised the tent, plush peacock blue fur pillows adorned the folding chairs, and cardboard pendant lights illuminated the whimsical sophistication of the space. One of my favorite pieces in the space were the host and hostess chairs from anthropologie, which where brushed with a oversized gold stripe of paint down the front and back, and finished in what seemed to be a durable, mod podge type glaze.
Here's a sneak peek of the space prior to the Table-Hop & Taste.
And a couple other images I was able to borrow from Mink Interiors coverage of the event.
I love Alexandra's concise explanation of her process in designing the elements of the room:
Conceptually based on the philosophy of a Yurt, this dining environment plays off of the modern-day need to be flexible and mobile while communicating your personality and style. Nomads traditionally never stayed in one place for too long, picking up useful items along the way. This of course made for a very eclectic mix of items, rough in presentation but big on character.
In this dining space, you will experience a mixture of textures (some luxurious and others raw) and styles (traditional motifs and modern presentations). These contrasts emphasize how you can take bits and pieces from your life and your collections and, while not always matching, they can provide for a cozy and contextualized dining space. Outdoor iron chairs mixed with fur seats, a satin fabric contrasted by recycled cardboard pendants, a patchwork over dyed rug overlaid with hides and a plywood table top on top of an iron base.
Another notable aspect of this space is its transportability. We may not always have the ability to host a large group of people in our designated dining room, or maybe we want to move this event to another location. Here you will find many pieces that allow for flexible living while still high on style. Folding outdoor dining chairs, a structure that defines the space but can be installed in a matter of minutes, a custom designed collapsible table base on top of which sits a portable plywood table top.
Please enjoy these juxtapositions and examples of how to create a mobile feast!
Never one to not acknowledge the talented tribe of people that contributed to this nomadic environment for merry-making, I thought I'd pass on the love the Alexandra's pulled together to make sure the vendors she worked with get the kudos they so rightly deserve:
Assistant and Designer: Morena Sesana: 925.219.2491
Cardboard Pendants: Gray Pants: 206.420.3912
Custom Metal Table Base: Richard Hubbard: 415.518.1885
Overdyed Rug: Modern Fever: 415.522.6666
Sewing of table-top items: Doug Shamp: 415.668.5185
Structural & Handyman Extraordinaire: Carlos Palacios: 415.302.8215
Custom Sewing of Tent: Tea Cake’s Custom-made: Esther Bennett: 415.203.7732
To see Alexandra's complete list of services, design philosophy and examples of her work, please visit www.alexandratorre.com.
For additional information on items featured in the dining space, please contact alexandra@alexandratorre.com.
