Showcases for a more beautiful show
25.9.2018
Translation: machine translated
My grandmother has good taste. Even if there was a time when I refused to believe it. Her display case, which has held Czech crystal and other objets d'art since the 1980s, was long considered outdated; today it's celebrating its comeback.
If you had asked me what I thought of shop windows and wall hangings fifteen years ago, I would have looked disgusted and replied: "They're products of the 80s, which as an East German, I don't regret - just like the Berlin Wall."When my parents, unlike my grandmother, got rid of their wall art and their shop window, I was delighted. Sure, they offered a lot of storage space, but they also took up a lot of room and made the living room smaller than it was.
Nowadays, urban nomads like me want flexible furniture that can be easily dismantled for the next move. Single rods are replacing large wardrobes and chests of drawers or shelves have become popular pieces of furniture. These days, no one is betting on imposing pieces of furniture.
Why, do we want them back?
When I visited the Maison & Objet show in Paris, I was surprised to see so many window displays. I admit that, as they were presented there, I found them rather attractive. As a designer, I've come to realise that, thanks to their transparency, showcases can be transformed into veritable "wonder rooms". They offer space for collections, souvenirs and books that would gather dust on a normal shelf.
The display cabinets give a frame to everyday objects lying around. Opal or tinted glass accentuates the calm optics. What's more, rather like mirrors, it brings varied lighting effects into the room. My grandmother noticed this very early on and hasn't forgotten it in favour of other trends over the years. When I last visited her, I had long since rediscovered a taste for window displays. She had lovingly arranged her vintage glasses and mugs in them, along with family pictures to show them off to best advantage. Just like in a museum, I was always able to discover something new on each floor of the display case. Cabinets with opaque doors don't offer the same fascination.
Different designers are bringing window displays back into fashion for the curious like me. Whether they're wide, thin, made of wood or metal - there's something for everyone. Let me show you my favourites.
Surprising designs
For detail lovers and myopes
Not ready to live the trend to the full? Here are some little storage boxes to show off the little everyday items that deserve it.
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Header image: Who would have thought it? Glass display cabinets were once again the order of the day at the "Maison et Objet" show in Paris. Photo: House Doctor
Pia Seidel
Senior Editor
Pia.Seidel@digitecgalaxus.chLike a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.
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