The New Outdoor Design Trend? Believe It or Not: Brutalism
What’s behind the revival—and how to pull it off without turning your backyard retreat into a totalitarian bunker.
What’s behind the revival—and how to pull it off without turning your backyard retreat into a totalitarian bunker.
CALL IT FLINTSTONES CHIC: On balconies and in backyards, hulking stone chairs and chunky concrete tables are making their weighty presence known. The look, though not actually prehistoric, is one with a past. Brutalism, the modern-design movement more typically associated with no-frills 1960s and 1970s public buildings than patio furniture, has long been an aesthetic critics love to hate. So why, after years of trim minimalism, are designers embracing the monolithic look for outdoors?
“People want unusual, sculptural pieces that have an edge and patina,” explained New York designer Amy Lau. Brutalist designs tick those boxes. Cameos in high-profile Instagram feeds like Gwyneth Paltrow’s haven’t hurt, either: Recent snaps of the lifestyle guru’s new Montecito home show what appear to be vintage “pod chairs” by Brutalist designer Willy Guhl looming trendily around an equally chunky fire pit. (Snag your own pair on 1stDibs for a rather brutal $21,293)
The post-apocalyptic style, named for the French term, “béton brut” (meaning “raw concrete”), might seem at odds with gentle plant forms, but fans say that juxtaposition is exactly what makes it work. “[Outdoors] the bold, elemental shapes of Brutalist furniture create a sense of dynamic contrast and edge,” said Kelly Wearstler, a Los Angeles designer whose work is heavily influenced by Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, midcentury masters who ushered in the Brutalist movement.
Take for example, the Boletto Chair from Cassius Castings, a Santa Monica, Calif., studio specializing in made-to-order concrete pieces. With its angular shape, drab colour and textureless surface, it sets off verdant green spaces with satisfyingly bratty dissonance. A Corten steel chiminea from Terrain also upends gentility with a straight-from-the-steel-mill look—though its saffron patina and columnar, tree-trunk shape evoke more natural forms.
Brutalist patio furniture can also be just plain practical. As Ms. Lau explained, concrete—one of Brutalism’s signature mediums—does particularly well outdoors. “It’s sturdy, and you don’t have to cover it for winter.”
For those worried Brutalist furniture will make their terrace look more like a totalitarian bunker than a posh retreat, Gaithersburg, Md., designer Shoshanna Shapiro points out that many new designs—like Boxhill’s lightweight and surprisingly elegant swooping Lucio loungers—are more approachable than their 1960s-era counterparts. Another way to temper the severity of Brutalist elements: Use them sparingly, or combine them with more delicate wood or rattan pieces.
“We’re seeing more sophisticated versions with slimmer, gentler curves and richer colours,” Ms. Shapiro explained. One of her favourite examples of this new iteration is the monumental, modular Spolia planter from Opiary. “It blends biophilic design and Brutalism in a modern, minimalist way.”
Neo-Brutalist designer James De Wulf also marries the organic and the industrial with his new bronze and concrete Exo dining table. While he’s best known for his hulking half-ton pieces, the craftsman’s recent work skews subtler. “I’m letting the shapes be organic rather than following the rigidity of circles and straight lines,” he explained.
“Some clients shy away from [Brutalist pieces] thinking they’ll be cold and uncomfortable,” said Seattle designer Anna Popov, who says she’s recently been crushing on a sensuous line of sealed concrete furniture from Sunpan. “But the truth is that it’s form, not material, that determines comfort,” she said. “A well-designed chair, in any material, can be the most comfortable one you’ve ever sat in.”
Reprinted by permission of The Wall Street Journal, Copyright 2021 Dow Jones & Company. Inc. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Original date of publication: July 21, 2022
Early indications from several big regional real-estate boards suggest March was overall another down month.
Art can transform more than just walls—it shapes mood, evokes memory, and elevates the everyday. Discover how thoughtfully curated interiors can become living expressions of personal meaning and refined luxury, from sculptural furniture to bespoke murals.
A heritage-listed Federation estate with tennis court, pool and studio, Marika offers timeless elegance and modern family living in the heart of Hunters Hill.
A grand old dame who has stood the test of time, Marika is a slice of Hunters Hill heritage transformed for modern-day living.
Meticulously renovated between 1981 and 1983, with several updates since, Marika made it onto the heritage register in 1999 just in time to signal a new millennium. Today, the modernised mansion is on the market with an auction price guide of $7.5 million, marketed through BresicWhitney’s Nicholas McEvoy.
“The home is a fantastic opportunity for a discerning buyer to get a grand family estate-style property, with a pool, tennis court and grounds, for a price that’s much more affordable than expected,” McEvoy says.
Sitting pretty on the corner of Augustine St and Ryde Rd, the stately Federation residence occupies a sprawling 2472sq m block, which was once part of a 30-acre land grant handed to Frederick Augustus Hayne in 1835. In 1902, he sold it to Dr Leopold Augustus Carter, a local dentist. Two years later, Marika, then known as “Ryde”, appeared in the famed Sands Directory – the social media of its era – a symbol of its architectural significance.
Surrounded by manicured gardens with sculpted hedges, a pool and full tennis court, Marika is a prime example of Federation style with contemporary elements.
Inside, the single-level five-bedroom home showcases intricate craftsmanship, from its decorative gables, period archways and bay windows to the coloured glass panels on multiple doors and windows. Elegant formal rooms have high ornate ceilings that are a preserved nod to Marika’s past, while the more modern spaces are relaxed family-friendly zones.
Thanks to a pavilion-style addition, the L-shaped layout measures 450sq m internally and wraps around a central courtyard that plays host to the alfresco dining terrace and pool, while a wide veranda frames the original front rooms of the house.
Primary living spaces, including the dining area with integrated bar, open to the great outdoors via stacker doors and the 21st century kitchen has a large island bench and a butler’s pantry with hidden access to the triple lock up garage. There is also a dedicated media room, a library or home office, plus a separate family room with a beautiful bay window.
All bedrooms feature built-ins while the main retreat, and a second bedroom, have shower ensuites. The shared bathroom houses convenient twin vanities and a freestanding bathtub.
Beyond the interiors, Marika delivers resort amenities with a full-sized, floodlit tennis court, the pool, barbecue terrace and a self-contained studio apartment with the added bonus of Harbour Bridge glimpses.
Added extras include a converted loft storage space, a large laundry with side yard access, ducted air conditioning, multiple fireplaces, solar panels with a battery backup and modern insulation.
Accessed via Augustine St, Marika is close to St Joseph’s College, Boronia Park shops, local ovals and city transport.
Marika at 59 Augustine St, Hunters Hill is set to go under the hammer on April 26, on site at 9am with a price guide of $7.5 million. The listing is with Nicholas McEvoy and Narelle Scott of BresicWhitney Hunters Hill.
The late rock star and his wife, model Iman, visited the house after seeing a news story about its unusual design by local architects Shim-Sutcliffe.
In an era of snapping quick selfies, Britain’s Royal Society of Portrait Painters has seen a 40% increase in the number of U.S. clients.