Inspire Notes:
Ah, but it’s all so simple when you have The Eye isn’t it? Designer John Rocha’s home oozes easy sophisticated style and the knowing Eye.
The feel is clean white geometry and it is no surprise that this house is to be found in the South of France, St Jean Cap Ferrat to be precise.
In the warmth of the Mediterranean sun, Mr John Rocha has created calm and oasis-cool with his prodigious use of white walls and limestone flooring.
When you a utilize such crisp lines, even a simple bowl of fruit looks like a potential art piece against the backdrop.
Many think of John Rocha as ‘just’ a clothing designer, but many of Mr Rocha’s delightful home accessory pieces, as seen above, can be found hosted by some of the big outlets, (see link below).
The use of what looks like Kente cloth on the low black table is striking. It works so well because of the harmonious colours in the cloth, the table and the floor.
The Kente cloth could just as easily be draped over the square black Conran chairs or a black (or white) sofa. Talking of the flooring…gorgeous. Buffed, classy, unfussy real wood.
The rattan chairs in the back were found by Mr Rocha at a flea market. They are just one of Franco Albini’s iconic designs.
These splendid weaved diamond chairs are very similar to Dirk Van Sliedrecht offerings, but are patently another flea market find which is out of production, so in order for our readers to ‘Buy This Home Style’ below, we have substituted them with Harry Bertoia diamond chairs.
Imagine yourself on a balmy evening with the lush backdrop of bushes, nature and trees. A warm central fire, flickering candle light, cushions, delicious natural food, people you dig gathered around with full belly’s and full glasses, light music, Sade perhaps, Ray La Montagne maybe…and endless fun stories into the night…
Lucky man. John Rocha. Lucky man.
The glass table and the simple rustic wooden benches were both designed by Mr Rocha.
How I love odd ‘sore thumb’ home accessory placements that work, (as in ‘sticks out like a sore thumb!’). An elaborate and delicate crystal chandelier casually hanging in the garden area?…And why not? The lovely white Provence chairs were also found in a flea market.
‘I like to create a simple space and surround myself with things I like to look at’. John Rocha.
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To recreate this home style for yourself you need look no further than Mr Rocha’s quote above. This gorgeous haven is all about line and simplicity.
Then on top of that you stamp your life, your experiences, your finds, your loves, your esprit all over it. Much of Mr Rocha’s furniture is either made by himself or finds he has adopted from flea markets. You will notice he adopts or makes pairs of things, which is always good in creating balance for the eye-sweep. I count at least six pairs of haute design chairs alone…real quality finds, not including loungers or benches.
But don’t be afraid to break rules and have odd numbers if that is what fits you or the mood of the space. It would be hard to go horrendously wrong with a crisp white back drop, although you could end up with a place that looks amateur and unfinished rather than minimalist and peaceful if you don’t develop an eye for placement and balance.
See for example how art finishes the sentence in the two pictures in which artwork is featured above, although I would have opted for something equally abstract but perhaps with more definition against the white wall for the ‘Kente cloth space’ four images from the top.
Or see how the cheeky exterior chandelier fills what might have been dead air…even with the lush foliage present.
To go for this minimal but not mistakenly empty vibe, silence the dull corners of your space by pondering creatively about what might inhabit that spot without becoming too overpowering to ruin the serenity. A large white or terracotta ceramic plant pot?
(Or see the large grey plant pots two pictures from the bottom in Mr Rocha’s home.) A stylish bowl of fruit? A beautiful canvas painting…
maybe even your own creative output – experienced artist or not! A beautiful stone or African sculpture? A collection of your favorite design books artfully piled atop one another? A throw? A shabby chic side table? …But also, don’t be afraid to wait.
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Our thanks and ’nuff respect to:
- Amanda Talbot, interiors commentator at Snoop
Photography:
- The unfeasibly gifted Richard Powers
Home owner:
- John Rocha website
- John Rocha accessories
NOTE: Featured items in posts or on galleries may not always still be available at their original linked sources after an Event.