身處在一個空間裡，我們可以透過顏色、不同的物件表面或觸感來感受空間裡的氛圍，好像是木材、塑膠或是玻璃都予人截然不同的感覺。不同的表面傳遞著不同的訊息，若是空間裡不同的物料都配上同一種顏色，我們更能感受物件的形狀、線條和比例，與空間融合時的和諧，而又各具個性，絕對是一個有趣的體驗。
這種充滿層次的空間設計，是來自紐約創意單位Crosby Studios的拿手把戲，其創辦人、俄羅斯出生的Harry Nuriev是一名建築師和室內設計師，同時也是產品設計師，由建築、設計，甚至是藝術，他亦有涉獵其中。觀看Nuriev的作品時，往往先被它的顏色所吸引，在過往的訪問中，他亦總是離不開談論色彩。「創作新的顏色是一件很困難的事情，事實上世上已經有很多美麗的顏色，我們只需要去發掘它們。」Nuriev說他是一個尋找顏色的人，例如是他的粉紅色，是在法國里昂找到的；又好像他稱為Jade的淺綠色，是聖彼得堡裡的馬林斯基劇院牆身的顏色。
「紫色是自私的顏色。」Harry Nuriev在受訪時曾說。他在紐約的住所，便是以紫色為主色調，包括地氈、沙發、書架等。對他來說，設計自己的家可以是百分百自己，完全沒有任何的限制。好像拿著畫筆一般，把空間的一切染上喜歡的紫羅蘭色，加上灰色的牆身調和，為家帶來玩味、開朗、歡樂和莊嚴的氛圍。這所房子同時也是最佳的「展示廳」，不是網頁裡的圖片，這是坦誠的設計。除了坦誠，Nuriev的設計裡還有幽默，他曾經以Bic的藍色走珠筆砌成的水晶吊燈，通俗而優雅，不禁讓人會心微笑。
置身於Nuriev設計的空間裡，能感受到他的設計語言是如此的大膽、簡潔、年輕和幽默。這種獨特的個性使他成為了時裝品牌的寵兒，除了經常合作的NIKE，他在兩年前時曾與Balenciga於Design Miami展出塞滿舊衣的可持續性家具「The Balenciaga Sofa」、使用俄羅斯傳統工藝製作喱士工作椅和木製影印機等組成的「The office」，有趣的家具讓人更期待他推出自家產品。最近，他終於推出了Home collection，椅子、小梳化、地氈、蠟蠋、手造陶器和文具等都配上了他常用的灰、藍、青綠作為主調，而且披上柔軟絨布的椅子、毛茸茸的筆記本等不同材質的運用則為讓人感受不同的有趣而舒適的觸感。系列中的特大手掌型咕????、造型地氈，以及如真人般大的毛公仔都是讓人驚喜的作品，擁有普普藝術裡的隨意又充滿幽默感的特質。Crosby Studios更會把標誌性的顏色、不同材質運用在接下來推出的成衣系列裡。他的創作也如他將會選用的顏色，如Nuriev所說，顏色像任何的關係，你永遠不知道將會遇到甚麼。
Courtesy of Crosby Studios
Color and texture give us a sense of our surroundings. For example, the different textures of wood, plastic or glass bring varying meanings to a space. It’s not too hard to imagine if every object in a space has the same color, the shape, contour, and proportion of these objects would be amplified and become vividly visible. The fact that different objects, each having their own unique visual and sensory characteristics, can blend so well together in a monochrome space is simply amusing.
Crosby Studios from New York is famed for their playful and contemplative interior designs. Its mastermind and founder, Harry Nuriev, is a Russia-born architect, interior designer, and product designer whose interests spread across the areas of architecture, design, and art. Nuriev’s work is mesmerizing for its extraordinary color palette. In fact, color is the one subject that the designer constantly focuses on and discusses. “It’s very hard to create a new color. The fact is, there are already so many beautiful colors in the world. We just need to discover them.” Nuriev said that he is always in search of colors. He found his pink in Lyon, France, and discovered the light green that he called “Jade” from the façade of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.
Nuriev once said in an interview, “Purple is a very selfish color.” Funnily enough, he outfits his New York apartment with purple accents — purple carpet, purple couch, purple bookshelves etc. For Nuriev, designing his own place means that he can be true to himself as there are no restrictions at all. As if he was painting with a paintbrush, he has created a playful yet solemn interior awash in violet and gray. Nuriev’s apartment is like a showroom where he displays his most candid work. Beyond candidness, one can also see the whimsical side of his work. For example, he has once created a chandelier with Bic’s pen, and the final product is both fun and elegant.
Being unapologetically bold, minimalistic, youthful and witty, Nuriev has become a darling to major fashion labels. He works with NIKE frequently, and two years ago, he teamed up with Balenciaga to create two art pieces for the Design Miami 2019. The Balenciaga Sofa is an environmentally conscious design of a transparent vinyl couch filled with worn and discarded clothing. The Office is a set of retro furniture which includes items such as a lace-covered swivel chair and a hulking corporate copy machine made of wood. Recently, he launched his new lifestyle brand, Crosby Studios Home which features a compelling range of home goods and loungewear that includes chairs, rugs, candles, ceramics, stationary, and more. The collection itself incorporates a play on textures and a dynamic color palette that consists of Nuriev’s favorite and most frequently used colors: blue, green, and gray. Items such as the velour dining chairs, faux fur notebooks, big hand-shaped pillows, sock-shaped rugs, and oversized humanoid body pillows are all unique pieces that showcase the randomness and playful side of pop art. Crosby Studios will soon unveil their ready-to-wear collection in which they will adopt the most iconic colors and a variety of materials. If you wonder how the collection will look, what Nuriev says about color might give you a hint, “It’s like any relationship. You will never know.”
Crosby Studios Home collection is now available at HBX.
