Get the Look: Artist Christopher Florentino’s Pop-Inflected Midcentury Home
Here’s how to combine pop art, street art, and space-age furniture à la Florentino.
Here’s how to combine pop art, street art, and space-age furniture à la Florentino.
Known as Flore, accomplished street artist Christopher Florentino was born in Brooklyn and now resides in Miami, but arguably his most storied home is in the suburb of Winter Haven, Florida.
Built by architect Gene Leedy, the art-filled midcentury residence is also a place of inspiration for the young artist. "I’m using this house as a place to study," he says. "I’m studying the architecture, studying the living." Build your own midcentury refuge by incorporating pieces like the ones below.
Artist Christopher Florentino says his respect for Gene Leedy drove his update of the architect’s 1963 Ellison Residence in central Florida: "Being original is important to me. I don’t want Gene Leedy to come here and be like, ‘Damn, you killed my vision.’" In the living room, George Nelson’s Saucer Bubble pendant hovers over Eames classics, like an LCW chair, a Molded Fiberglass armchair, and a Molded Plywood coffee table. Christopher found the lounge, an Eames replica, in a dumpster and couldn’t let it go to waste. A Warhol print hangs from the sandstone block wall; the Ekko mobile is by Matthew Richards.
Photo: Matthew Williams
Hip Haven Bullet Planter
Originally manufactured by several companies in the 1950s, the Bullet Planter (2011) was never trademarked, and its designer never identified. One version of the story attributes its creation to a resourceful man who worked for a company that produced satellite dishes. When he brought one home, his wife found it made a perfect planter. This planter is still made from durable, compression-molded fiberglass, perched atop a tripod of powder-coated steel. Made in U.S.A.
Herman Miller Eames Molded Plastic Side Chair
Charles and Ray Eames realized their dream to create a single-shell form over 80 years ago by making their molded chairs of fiberglass. When the environmental risks of that material became known, the Eames Molded Shell Chair (1950) was changed to polypropylene, which is 100% recyclable and has a pleasant matte texture. In 2013, Herman Miller safely brought back the fiberglass shell thanks to a new proprietary production process. Today’s fiberglass chair is made of 99% recyclable materials and covered by Herman Miller’s take-back program for environmentally sound recycling. Plus, it’s true to the original with its beloved variegated surface. Also making its debut in 2013 was the stunning Eames Molded Wood Chair, a longtime dream of the Eameses finally made possible by today’s revolutionary 3-D molding technology. The result is an elegant yet strong and durable beautiful wood shell. The collection was expanded again in 2015 to include a counter stool and barstool. Each provides just the right amount of give, with a deep seat pocket and waterfall seat edge to reduce pressure on the backs of thighs. The Molded Shell Chair is a celebration of the Eameses’ fascination with emerging materials. "The chair that Charles and Ray were designing," says grandson Eames Demetrios, "is the chair that’s made tomorrow." This is an authentic Eames Cahir by Herman Miller. Made in U.S.A.
Herman Miller Nelson Saucer Bubble Pendant
While outfitting his office, architect and Herman Miller design director George Nelson discovered a silk-covered Swedish hanging lamp that he coveted but found too expensive. He then recalled seeing a photo in the paper of Liberty ships being mothballed "by having the decks covered with netting and then being sprayed with a self-webbing plastic," which got him thinking. "And then, Whammo!" Inspiration struck, and by the next night, Nelson had designed his first Bubble Lamp (1952) by spinning a skeleton of steel wires on a turntable and shooting it with translucent plastic until it was covered in a smooth, washable film. "When you put a light in it, it glowed," he said. This is the authentic Bubble Lamp, produced in partnership with the George Nelson Foundation. Bulb (not included): LED, CFL or incandescent; E26 base; 60W max for small, 150W max for others. UL Listed. Made in U.S.A.
Ekko Standing Circles Mobile
Evocative of the work of Alexander Calder, the Ekko Standing Circles Mobile (2009) moves freely with the slightest breeze or vibration. This mobile is carefully handmade in Oregon. Best suited for indoor use. Keep away from children. Made in U.S.A.
Herman Miller Eames Molded Plywood Coffee Table
Charles and Ray Eames began experimenting with molded wood in the early 1940s, pressing thin sheets of veneer against a heated membrane – their Kazam! Machine – to perfect their signature molded plywood shaping technology. The Molded Plywood Coffee Table (1946) is yet another product of that technology, its layers of fused veneer and bent wood integral to its appeal. This is an authentic Eames product by Herman Miller. Eames is a licensed trademark of Herman Miller. Made in U.S.A.
Vitra Wooden Dolls
Partly joyful, partly grim, completely charming. The Vitra Wooden Dolls by Alexander Girard are colorful decorative accessories/toys inspired by Girard's passion for the local popular art of Asia, South America and Eastern Europe. Each of the distinctive figures is made out of solid pinewood and hand-painted. Collect them all.
An Eames lounge chair covered in Alexander Girard fabric from Maharam sits near a Girard Model 108 coffee table for Knoll.
Photo: Matthew Williams
Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman
It’s no surprise that Charles and Ray Eames spent much of their careers investigating molded plywood—but when they introduced their lounge chair and ottoman in 1956, they immediately made history. The influential couple aimed to create a modern version of a 19th-century English club that has the "warm, receptive look of a well-used first baseman’s mitt." Each set is assembled by hand with a great attention to detail, and is available in two sizes with a selection of veneers and leathers. The base and back braces are made of die-cast aluminum while the chair base has a built-in swivel mechanism. Both pieces stand on adjustable stainless-steel glides while their shock mounts are made with resilient natural rubber. You won’t need to look far to find this lounger in many modern homes today—its iconic silhouette and comfortable nature has made it a clear favorite among design lovers.
Knoll Girard Table
The designer was true to his words when he created the Girard Coffee Table (1948) for Knoll®. The art of this coffee table is its book-matched walnut veneer tabletop, organic shape, and smooth 45-degree beveled edge. The living part is in how the table can be positioned with either the straight or asymmetrical side toward the seating area, providing a large usable surface in a relatively narrow footprint. Girard’s work has been the subject of many museum exhibitions.
Vitra Eames Elephant
Charles and Ray Eames were known for being fascinated with certain animal figures—including elephants. Charles actually collected photographs of the animals from various inspirations around the world. In the 1940s, the couple designed the first version of their iconic elephant with molded plywood, which ended up requiring fabrication methods that were too complex to reproduce on a large scale. They only ever made two prototypes, in which only one exists today and is held by the Eames family themselves. Today, Vitra Design Museum produces the design with polypropylene in the same style as the Eames Molded Plastic chairs. Available in five colors, it holds GS and CE certificates that make it safe for kids. Photo Courtesy of Design Within Reach
DCM Molded Plywood chairs by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller sit around a dining table by Eero Saarinen for Knoll.
Photo: Matthew Williams
See the full story on Dwell.com: Get the Look: Artist Christopher Florentino’s Pop-Inflected Midcentury Home
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