Trace Design Studio

✨Material Focus: R a t t a n ✨

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁?

• A climbing vine grown mainly in Southeast Asia.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲?

• Rapidly renewable
• Harvested as cane (no need to fell whole trees).
• Low-energy processing & biodegradable at end of life

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗻 🩵

⌓ Charlotte Perriand

French designers including Ms. Perriand established the 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘔𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴 (UAM) in 1929. They created interiors that embraced tactile, natural materials while reviving traditional techniques. (img 4)

⌓ Adrian Audoux & Frida Minet:

French designer-duo, extremely productive during the 40s & 50s whose design ethic was based upon new, accessible materials and technologies such as rattan, representing the realities of modern life. (img 5)

𝟭𝟵𝟲𝟬𝘀 & 𝟭𝟵𝟳𝟬𝘀 — 𝗜𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 🌱

⌓ Gio Ponti:

Experimented with undulating rattan forms in the 60s, such as his BP16 Chair by , celebrated for appearing as a ‘single continuous reed.’ (img 6 & 7)

⌓ Bonacina:

A historic workshop (founded 1889) that partnered with masters such as Franco Albini & Gio Ponti. Albini’s Margherita (1951) and other MCM rattan icons cemented the house as a Mediterranean reference for rattan modernism. (img 8 & 9)

⌓ Tito Agnoli:

Known for designing bamboo/ rattan seating and airy lounge pieces from the 60s such as the P3 collection. (img 10)

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 & 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 🪑

✧ Contemporary Reissues:

Contemporary brands like have reissued heritage designs (like Gabriella Crespi - img 11 & 12) making select vintage designs newly available & continuing the legacy of rattan with new collections like Francis Sultana’s 2023 designs for Bonacina (img 13).

✧ Latin American heritage:

MCM Brazilian designers (ie. Joaquim Tenreiro, Sérgio Rodrigues, José Zanine Caldas) often integrated cane & rattan into their furniture designs

✧ Contemporary rattan:

Designers such as , Neca Abrantes and are reinventing these traditions paying homage to local handcrafts & materials while exploring new forms.

Although I love a good moody and earthy interior, there’s 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 something about a bright 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 that just makes me want to take off my shoes…

There’s something ethereal about these sun-filled and relaxed homes that are softened with warm textures and curved forms that make me feel like taking a long deep breath…

In this day and age I think it’s safe to say most of us don’t need to feel more stimulated when we get home.. I want to feel inspired by the things and places I love, but live in a space that feels easy, beautiful and calming.

These beach homes, soft textures and details make me feel just that:

Natural teak-lined ceilings,
Seamless outdoor showers,
The softness of light through white frosted glass,
And a view of the sea…

Miami Art Week / Basel is here at last!

I’m looking forward to seeing Design Miami’s displays and the accompanying talks inspired by this year’s curatorial theme, 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙎𝙠𝙮.

This year “the fair will offer a celebration of the boldest leaps of imagination in design”, and
“design is explored as an experimental, risk-taking, and ultimately optimistic venture”.

These are the lectures I’m most looking forward to this week.

A sea of blues 🌊

Selecting color poms for a beautiful custom rug from

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴:
𝘗𝘈𝘙𝘒 𝘈𝘝𝘌 𝘙𝘌𝘚𝘐𝘋𝘌𝘕𝘊𝘌

This modern home in 𝘾𝙤𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙪𝙩 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙁𝙇 had great bones and a lush existing landscape, but the interiors were a bit more cold and industrial than the new homeowners wanted, with exposed steel beams, a raw concrete slab and dark grey porcelain floors.

Although appreciating the existing architecture, they envisioned a more 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢 and 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙨 for their new Miami home.

Our job was to bring that vision to life.

𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙙 walnut became the main focus and we used this material throughout the home to engage with the architectural environment.

𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗻𝘂𝘁 (aka. American walnut) with it’s dark rich color is a sustainable and domestic alternative for endangered tropical timbers of similar aesthetic quality such as teak and ipe.

In the family room (rendering pictured here) we took advantage of the double height ceiling and expansive windows with views to the 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚’𝙨 𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙝 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙮, to introduce an installation of vertical wood slats, wrapping walnut on the ceiling and installing new custom floating shelves to really warm up the space.

An alabaster 𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙝 finish softens the plaster and the new handmade white 𝙯𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙚 fireplace surround provides just a bit of needed contrast with shimmering reflections on it’s undulated surface.

An 𝙖𝙨𝙮𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 composition of oversized rattan pendants from crowns the space providing soft diffused lighting.

Interiors by:

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 🌴 This modern home in 𝘾𝙤𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙪𝙩 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙁𝙇 had great bones and a lush existing landscape, but the interiors were a bit more cold and industrial than the new homeowners wanted, with exposed steel beams, a raw concrete slab and dark grey porcelain floors. Although appreciating the existing architecture, they envisioned a more 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢 and 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙨 for their new Miami home. Our job was to bring that vision to life. 𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙙 walnut became the main focus and we used this material throughout the home to engage with the architectural environment. 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗻𝘂𝘁 (aka. American walnut) with it’s dark rich color is a sustainable and domestic alternative for endangered tropical timbers of similar aesthetic quality such as teak and ipe. In the family room (rendering pictured here) we took advantage of the double height ceiling and expansive windows with views to the 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚’𝙨 𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙝 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙮, to introduce an installation of vertical wood slats, wrapping walnut on the ceiling and installing new custom floating shelves to really warm up the space. An alabaster 𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙝 finish softens the plaster and the new handmade white 𝙯𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙚 fireplace surround provides just a bit of needed contrast with shimmering reflections on it’s undulated surface. An 𝙖𝙨𝙮𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 composition of oversized rattan pendants from @oggetti crowns the space providing soft diffused lighting. Interiors by: @tracedesignstudio . . . #miamihomes #tropicalmodernism #miamiinteriordesigners #tracedesignstudio #mindfulhome #tropicalinteriors #dreamhomes #familyroominspo #miamiresidentialinteriors

Time to meditate✨

One of our most recent projects, a home in Coconut Grove inspired by 𝘄𝗮𝗯𝗶-𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶 and 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺.

The design for the 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢 focuses on the passage of time and natural cycles such as the rising and setting of the sun. ☀️

Park Avenue Residence✨
Coconut Grove, FL

The 𝙃𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙖𝙝 𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚 and 𝙂𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙍𝙤𝙤𝙢 at the North Bay Road Residence are some of the most fun moments in the house.

As seen in

Photos by: Planomatic

Started the week with this from Architectural Digest 💜

In this minimalist home the color comes from the sky seen here at nightfall, the lush landscape with pops of fuschia bougainvillea, and the changing colors of Biscayne bay at the North Bay Road residence.

As seen in

Photos by: Planomatic