Furniture designerBorn in Northern California.Her mother, an artist, raised four daughters alone. "She taught me to look at the world through the prism of color, shape and texture." Studied at the Academy of Art, San Francisco. First Project A store selling wine and cheese (the owner was Barbara herself). In 1985, Berry founded the bureau Barbara Barry Incorporated and took up design professionally. Partners Berry made furniture for Baker, McGuire and Kallista, crystal for Baccarat, tiles for Ann Sacks Tile & Stone, linens for Sferra Bros, rugs for Blue Ridge and Tufenkian, lamps for Boyd, dishes for Haviland and Wedgwood, textiles for Kravet. Now, together with the Henredon company, she produces furniture under the Barbara Barry brand. A person does not need so much: a fresh tablecloth on the table, polished silverware, a comfortable chair... In everything that Barbara Berry does, be it interiors, furniture or home accessories, you can feel a woman's hand. Delicate, but firm. "Well made with form and only then with upholstery," says the designer. She does not like it when the space is overloaded with furniture and believes that there is nothing more expressive than a ray of sunlight playing on a simple wooden floor. Sometimes Barbara reasons like a real minimalist, but in fact she is infinitely far from everyday asceticism. On the contrary, she elevates the small joys of life to the rank of high philosophy: "Luxury" is the opportunity to enjoy every minute of life. It is the way my bed accepts and lulls me to sleep. Or the pleasure I get from the sight of a beautiful napkin, even when I eat alone." Berry is constantly included in the lists of the best American designers, and her interiors could serve as a backdrop for 1940s films: "I love that they evoke memories of two-piece suits, pearls and cocktails by the pool," says the designer. Hollywood celebrities commission her to decorate their residences, and it is to them that we owe the appearance of furniture under the Barbara Barry brand - many items were designed for specific homes, and have now become part of a collection that is mass-produced. In terms of popularity among her compatriots, Barbara can give odds to many of her star clients. In America, everyone who is even slightly interested in design knows her. If Berry's furniture and interiors are for the elite, then the simple and clear advice on home improvement that she generously gives to magazines, newspapers and Internet sites is addressed to millions. Based on her interview, a book could be published under the title "Encyclopedia of Good Taste". Here are excerpts from this (as yet non-existent) work.
Photo 1.The interior is decorated in Barbara's favorite warm golden tones. In the foreground is the Grace Lounge Chair, against the wall is the Silver Screen. Photo 2. Reeded Chest. Photo 3. Silver Screen Leather Bed with a leather-covered headboard. The bedside table is made of walnut, the drawers are lined with silver-plated panels. Photo 4. This is what Barbara thinks the perfect dining room looks like. In the center of the composition is the Grand Oval Starburst Dinig Table made of walnut and ebony.
Recipes from Barbara Berry
- Avoid too much active ornamentation,use plain fabrics for furniture upholstery, do not overload the rooms with furniture and accessories. Such an interior will become your calling card, because a sense of proportion and the ability to control yourself are the properties of strong and noble natures.
- Look at the space as a painting. The interior should have an internal rhythm: dark surfaces should be balanced by light ones, low furniture should alternate with high ones.
- Don't try to perfect every angle.and avoid ostentatious «pretty». Place furniture only where it is really needed. Place armchairs or chairs so that they engage in a dialogue with each other. After all, this is what the people sitting on them will be doing.
- Excess antiques clutter up the house and turn it into a museum. Combine old things with new ones that have a simple form and classic proportions. Then the interior will be harmonious.
- I live in California where there is a lot of sun and I lovelight muted colors (especially ivory). You have a different climate in Russia, so it makes sense to thicken the colors. You can introduce red or yellow into the interior. My advice: use several shades of one color at once - this will help make the space more sophisticated.
Furniture from Barbara Barry is not only beautiful, but alsoconvenient. And that's why: "I'm a supporter of traditional ideas about beauty," says Barbara. - Of course, over the last decades our houses have changed - they have become much more spacious. But after all, we ourselves have remained the same, so the designer should not forget about the natural proportions of the human body. Furniture is not created for interiors, but for people. "
