Claude & Francois-Xavier Lalanne / June 30, 2014 by Raji Radhakrishnan

It isn't an entirely new concept when designers talk about sculptural furnishings. It's been a stylistic aspect of many designer's work for decades and something I strive for in most interiors I create. My personal thoughts have always been that whenever possible make the furnishings (that includes furniture, lighting and accessories) as sculptural as possible but hopefully not at the expense of comfort or practicality. If comfort was the only objective, I think it would make for pretty but bland and boring interiors. On the other hand, if beautiful and sculptural furnishings were the only objective then the rooms tend to feel like museums. Hence the adage, a balance between form and function. One way to do this, is to keep all the key pieces of furnishings in a room as practical and comfortable (and beautiful) as possible and then introduce at least one terrific piece even if it is purely for it's sculptural presence.

Mouflon de Pauline, 1993, by Francois Xavier Lalanne

There are many beautiful and sculptural furniture out there but to me the ones that are the epitome and the very definition of sculptural furniture are those made by the Lalannes. Of late, auction prices for the Lalannes have skyrocketed so much (and for good reason) that it makes acquiring one of their pieces as rare and pricey as a Picasso. The husband and wife duo, the late Francois-Xavier Lalanne and Claude Lalanne, both worked and exhibited together and you can see how much their thoughts and works were in unison. They had different subject matter preferences. Francois preferred over-sized animal figures with secret compartments, whereas Claude, now 86, enjoys flora over fauna and also worked on jewelry and more intricate and smaller subjects. But the sculptural quality, materials and the basic whimsical nature of both their pieces spoke to each other so well that I think one picked up where the other left off. That is the kind of flourish that's hard to come by. And the kind of work that I think will inspire us for centuries and generations to come. Il est certainement ma tasse de thé!

These are some of my favorite Lalanne pieces - images via Flickr & Pinterest

One of my favorite is this 1964, rhinoceros-shaped bar created by Francois Xavier Lalanne

Lalannes Raji RM Interior Design Washington DC New York-2

Ginkgo: A patinated bronze side chair designed by Claude Lalanne, 1996

Claude+Lalanne Raji RM Interior Design Washington DC New York

Gotham Magazine Lalannes Raji RM Interior Design Washington DC New York

Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Bergé home in Paris

Lalannes Raji RM Interior Design Washington DC New York

Francois Xavier Lalanne Raji RM Interior Design Washington DC New York

Oiseau d'Argent chair by François-Xavier Lalanne

Paris Apartment of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé featuring branches and leaf clad mirrors by Claude Lalanne. Image via Christie's.

Raji RM & Associates | Interior Designer & Decorator

Washington DC | New York

Inspired Monday Morning - Anish Kapoor / May 5, 2014 by Raji Radhakrishnan

In a world of mass production, information overload and constant messaging I seem to yearn for the unknown, unseen and often in a way that's unprepared. A core aspect to the work we do here at Raji RM is taking huge risks, within the scope of the project of course. The risks pertain to the untested idea, unseen even by us. Because designers I think are artists at the very basis, pragmatists too, as we define our work within the confines of walls driven by functionality, needs and desires.

It is then only necessary that we voyage as often as possible into the depths of artistry, departing from the every day dictum of practical life and logic, only to come right back with monumental inspiration, chiseling out just a sliver of that learning and deftly applying it to our work in transforming the spaces with meaning and perspective to the discerning eye.

One of the contemporary artists who has never failed to inspire me is Anish Kapoor. The risks he takes in his works are often in the face of adversity with the uninformed and the uninitiated. Yet he pushes each new work to another realm, unexplored or even unidentified, until that perspective is explored through his own works. He plays not just with scale or color but with our minds, our perspectives, our view of ourselves and the world around us. Need I say more...juste ma tasse de thé!

(All photos are from Tumblr & Flickr)

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Raji RM & Associates | Interior Designer & Decorator

Washington DC | New York

A Home Inspired By The Cotswolds / March 26, 2014 by Raji Radhakrishnan

It's no secret that I love all things French particularly the French Modern period between the 1920s - 1970s. Architecturally though, I'm more of a classicist. The juxtaposition of French Modern pieces against a classical background is a great complement to both these styles as you can see in my own home here. I am also a huge fan of English Architecture & Design. Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir John Soane inspire me endlessly. And, English country I think is one of the most charmed way of living and it does not necessarily have to be grand. Take the Cotswolds - quiet streets lined with little cottages made of mud and centuries old stones, preserved, transporting you to a different period, a different era.

While visiting a new client a few years ago, Cotswolds was exactly what I was thinking about driving up the street lined with homes that looked like they came straight out of the pages of a story book. And, as I walked through the door, the character of the rooms simply confirmed my initial feeling. And I thought - il est tout ma tasse de thé!