Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1525828
Designer Benjamin Johnston creates a joyful River Oaks residence decked in bold primary colors and geometric shapes inspired by Kindercore, a spunky design trend rooted in the Memphis Milano and de Stijl creative movements. When Benjamin Johnston was hired to design the interiors of this 1956 mid-century modern residence in River Oaks, everything was "white, white, white," he says. That didn't last long. The clients, who have a young child and collect art, weren't interested in a sterile gallery-like setting to display their lighthearted works by Donald Sultan, Keith Haring, Daniel Adenitan, Guy Gee, and Pedro Friedeberg. "They were really interested in tapping into this very colorful, childlike aesthetic that was playful and whimsical called Kindercore; I'd never heard of it before, but it was exciting to try something new," Johnston says. The term was coined in a 2019 New York magazine story about an emerging "toddler-esque design moment" focusing on primary colors like "Crayola-bright blues, gumball-machine reds, and Very Hungry Caterpillar greens," but the trend actually has origins in some of the most important design moments of the 20th century. Kindercore's simple aesthetic and love of primary colors are derived from de Stijl, the influential 1917 Dutch art movement co-founded by Piet Mondrian, along with a hefty serving of 1980s Memphis Milano's preference for quirky geometric forms. Often styled with classic mid-20th-century furniture, Kindercore emphasizes "chubby" pieces with thick rounded edges that are both cozy and kid-like. Johnston's clients were up for all of it. "Everything was done with a bit of a wink and a nod," he says. The design process started with a deck of Sherwin Williams paint samples. Johnston and lead designer Rajani Alvarado sat down with the clients and examined their color preferences: red, blue, yellow, pink, and green. "We went color by color, crafting a palette we felt they could respond to," Johnston says. "Then we started finding fabrics and materials and rugs and artwork that spoke to those color choices." When it came to furniture, the clients wanted to acknowledge the house's modern roots, but they also wanted a sense of whimsy. "We The family room with Kravet swivel chairs in Fabricut upholstery. Custom coffee table by Mirak. Ottoman from 1stDibs in Pierre Frey bouclé.