Wigutow Office: Before

We were hired to help three screen writers revise their space so that they will feel more inclined to use the common area in their office suite. Each of the three writers have their own offices, and a narrow corridor leads to a sunny, open room. The writers realized that they often went out for coffee and lunch when they had the space right there to settle in and feel at home, if only it were a little more comfortable. 

The writers told us they wanted to use the space for movie screenings and presentations on their big, flat screen television with surround sound, not only for their own research but for friends and clients. While the sunny atmosphere is a great environment for reading or eating lunch, it isn't ideal for movie screenings.

The condition of the furnishings and the layout of the space is also not conducive to entertaining. A reception desk remains from the previous occupants of the suite, and it isn't useful for these three writers.

Our goal is to make the most of what the occupants already have in the space, using some of the assets of the architecture and pieces of furniture that have good character and quality.

Sarah Stifler's Day Bed

Our friend Sarah found some cut up pieces of a tree trunk by the side of the road one day, and she had the great foresight to use them as the foundation for this lovely day bed. She had the pieces cut into even blocks and set two laminated sheets of plywood that she covered with a canvas drop cloth on top of the big, sturdy feet. She bought a twin-sized futon and a bunch of down pillows and recruited Friends & Relations to design and fabricate simple but elegant removable covers for the mattress and pillows. The painter's linen she chose for this upholstery project has a great texture and rich brown color. We plan to add two large throw pillows with a pattern that will pick up on the blue upholstery covering her club chairs.

Jennifer Krasinski's Kitchen Table

Our friend Jennifer Krasinski lives in a beautiful 1930s era apartment on the top floor of a building in Koreatown. About a year ago, Jennifer began writing her essays and stories at home full time. She is also an accomplished cook who entertains frequently. Jennifer wanted to figure out how to make her living space and working space come together in a more fluid way, so we started talking with her to devise some solutions. You'll see more from us on Jennifer's apartment, but for now, let's begin at the beginning.

 
The first thing that Jennifer wanted was a kitchen table. Though the one-bedroom apartment is large, the kitchen is tiny, and she needed more counter space for cooking. Jennifer is also tall, and she wanted a table that was more appropriate for her height so that she would no longer have to stoop over to work on her recipes. Adjacent to the kitchen is a small breakfast area with a large window. We envisioned a table to fit in this room that would act as extra counter space as well as a casual dining table with high stools.

The overall color palette for the apartment was shaping up to include a number of black accents, including black paint for the casement window frames. We decided to use a medium grey for the kitchen walls to work with the grey, green, and purple tiles that are original to the apartment's kitchen. We chose a light chopping block for the tabletop. It is oiled so that it is very smooth and liquids bead up when they spill onto it. This finish will become darker and smoother with use. Stains and cuts will add character to its surface. The legs alternate with two carved patterns: diamonds and scallops. We painted the legs with twelve coats of paint, two coats each of six colors. The colors we chose match the kitchen tiles as well as other items in the apartment. The last layer coat of paint was black. We sanded the legs so that the natural color of the wood and the final layer of black of the paint are the prominent colors, but small moments of yellow, green, and pink are visible as well.

Untitled Patchwork no. 1 (Thanksgiving 2008, Extraordinary Rendition Private Supper, Jen Collins Graduation Party)

Writer and independent curator Andrew Berardini invited Friends & Relations to participate in his exhibition Exquisite Corpse, staged at Mihai Nicodim Gallery in Chinatown in Los Angeles in 2009. Using napkins, placemats, a table cloth, and candle holders from three previous Friends & Relations projects, we made a textile-based artwork that was inspired by traditional American quilts and was designed as both a wall-mounted installation and a functional set of table linens. Textiles were stretched and folded and then tacked in place with decorative upholstery nails. This process allowed us to maintain the integrity of the original elements so that they retained suitability for use at table.

 
Untitled Patchwork no. 1 (Thanksgiving 2008, Extraordinary Rendition Private Supper, Jen Collins Graduation Party), 2009
Fabric, upholstery tacks, thumbtacks, wood, and candles
Installation view at Mihai Nicodim Gallery, Los Angeles, 2009

Extraordinary Rendition: A Private Supper Club

 
Extraordinary Rendition is an occasional private supper club. Friends & Relations was invited to design and build a table to be used for Extraordinary Rendition events. We devised a table constructed in two parts so that it is suitable for smaller gatherings but can seat up to twenty guests. The tabletop is hand-painted in two motifs: a black and white triangle pattern and a brightly colored composition based on Henri Matisse's paper cut-out compositions. The edge of the table is painted metallic gold. There are eight legs in all, four of which are cut into a diamond pattern and four of which are carved in more organic, undulating shapes. We sanded the table legs to a very soft grain and treated them only with oil, so they are soft to the touch. When each section is being used separately, the legs can be situated so that they are equidistant from the corners, and when the two sections are brought together to make one large table, two legs on each half can be moved into different brackets. This creates a visual rhythm and allows for more even placement of chairs around the table.
 

For this inaugural dinner, Friends & Relations designed and fabricated napkins and placemats that, like the tabletop, combine graphic shape and color with a smaller geometric pattern. We made candle holders from the same wood we used for the table legs. We cut 4x4s to various heights of four, six, and ten inches, bored small holes into one side, and sanded them to a smooth finish. Black candles picked up the black in the patterns on the table and the napkins.

For the invitations and menus, we chose turquoise paper. We painted X'x and O's in repeating patterns in across the paper, which we then cut at random in order to break up the pattern. The invitations were hand-written in gold ink and sent in deep red envelopes. At each place setting, we placed a menu that started with each guest's name, also written out in gold ink. Our long, low flower arrangements were set at two points along the table and were surrounded by candles.

As the rooftop setting for the dinner was a wide-open area, we placed canvas tarps at casual angles beneath the table to define the space. We were so lucky that our host's mother owned the beautiful silver and allowed us to use it for our overall design.

Thanksgiving 2008

For four years, Jill and Corrina have brought together a group of close friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. In 2008, Friends & Relations was officially born at this annual meal. These images show the table decor we designed. The overall setting evolved from our idea for a centerpiece made primarily of fabric that echoed the shape of a Cornucopia. The figure included foraged lemons, eucalyptus, flowers, and dried wheat. The table cloth was made from raw canvas to reflect our ideas about the table as a colorful abstract image that was also functional, like a landscape for a meal. The placemats and napkins extended the palette of the centerpiece. We set the table with the utensils in the position indicating a finished meal with the napkins tossed haphazardly onto the plates, giving rise to an immediate sense of conviviality. The glassware combined the elegance of crystal stemware with the homespun feel of canning jars. The Bauhaus-inspired plates and the terracotta coasters that we used as candle holders added a sculptural counterpoint in the composition. We extended the centerpiece by placing flowers and leaves across the length of the table alongside the candles in order to disseminate the focus of color for each guest to admire.

Friends & Relations

Friends & Relations is an aesthetic consulting firm specializing in interior decoration, handmade textiles and furniture, and art direction for special events. This is us: Corrina Peipon and Jill Spector at a roof-top dinner we designed.