Hello! My name is Tobi Wright and I’ve been fortunate over the years to have been granted more creative freedom, than not.
Tobi Wright
One of my most recent interior design projects was a particular treat because my client didn’t want a style, he wanted a concept—“beach poolside vibe”.
Ordinarily, concept boards are presented during the design phase of the project.
In this case, I came to the initial consultation with concept boards to determine how literal or figurative his request was.
It ended up being a bit of both 🙂 just wait and see.
Entryway
This client’s entryway received a conceptual treatment. With photographer Giles Ashford’s assistance, my client’s window frames were photographed and filled with fluffy clouds on a clear day. Two printed windows flank a real window for a bit of humor and conversation upon entry. An Aqua Creations’ light fixture adds another cloud-like form. When I look at the composition in photo form it almost feels like Magritte’s “False Mirror” with the eye and the clouds separated.
Mariss Balodis is the phenomenal photographer behind this soothing Moroccan surf escape.
I paired it with Design Within Reach’s shell chair—surfboard chair to my design brain—for the full effect.
You can’t tell from this photo, but the shell chair is upholstered in Lori Weitzner’s Lumiere Rainbow fabric which plays perfectly with the colors in Mariss’ photograph.
Thank you, Baboo Digital for your spectacular plexi framing.
Living Room
After living in his home for 15 years, this client was ready to renovate and he wanted a beach-poolside vibe.
While there is one very literal application of this concept in his home, the rest is conceptual.
Approaching a concept will always be unique to each individual homeowner. For this homeowner I’d have to say the underlying goal was always “airy”. His home gets GREAT natural light and I wanted the interior selections to mimic and PLAY with the light.
It’s not quite apparent in the photos, but sanding the floor made a HUGE visual impact. Originally, the floor had an oil based polyurethane sealer which yellowed over time giving it an orange cast. Urban Standard NYC sanded the floor to its natural tone and used a clear, water-based sealer. The result was a visual breath of fresh air.
Airiness was also accomplished through color, form and movement: a couch with an open base and back, a bench with a curved open base, a rug with a very watery impression, movement of color around the room, and literal movement of air with the addition of a ceiling fan.
It’s so gratifying to see the mood board vision realized. It’s doubly gratifying when the client has a whimsical gene ? I love designing sophisticated yet playful spaces.
Custom-made bench
The key to great design is having patterns, textures and colors that “converse” with one another. I knew OT/TRA | OTTRA by Zimmerman Workshop‘s bench would pair well with my client’s painting, but even I was surprised when it arrived onsite. It’s not just the curves and colors that work together… the tufting and the eyes are also similarly patterned. I love this marriage of decorative items.
Dining room
Rather than replacing my client’s somewhat dated looking table, Reason Modern and I brainstormed on a contemporary redesign for the base. He also refinished the game table cover in a walnut tone.
I paired Eames plywood dining chairs with the table. I had the choice of a wood frame or a metal frame. The wide back and substantial legs of the wood frame helped visually balance the thick poker table top, creating the illusion that the table and chairs were a set.
Another visual trick I used to make the dining-poker table feel like a cohesive part of the overall design, was repeating a pattern. The table legs Reason Modern and I designed are triangles. The shape repeats in Foscarini pendants, and again in the pseudo chevron pattern of Kravet’s divine catwalk fabric.
Master bedroom
This poolside-beach vibe bedroom features Calico wallpaper’s atmospheric Cirrus series with its very watery aesthetic, and a Salari Fine Carpets’s rug that looks like sea glass.
As part of his renovation, my client decided to consolidate his office space and allowed me to move it out of his main living space where it was on view for everyone to see.
This avid reader had a treasure trove of old and new books—the likes of which made the pages a more aesthetically appealing visual than the spines for this peaceful, light drenched corner.
Guest bedroom
There’s no need to kiss summer goodbye when you have an oasis right in your own home!
The sun chaise serves as a spot to relax with a newspaper, or an extra bed for guests with children.
The wallpaper photo by David Massey.
Terrace
The beach-poolside vibe continues outside, on my client’s wildly growing terrace. Quite unplanned, his festive table is featured in Fermob’s Acapulco Blue color.
While working on my client’s West Village apartment, his terrace became one of my favorite places in Manhattan, regardless of the season. I’m so grateful that his vision for a “beach/poolside vibe” allowed for such a colorful and celebratory palette.
About this interior design project
Here’s what my client says about working with Tobi Wright of InsideWright:
“Hard to believe a true aesthete, problem solver, and business head all exist in the same person.
Project Year: 2020
Project Cost: $100,001 – $150,000
Location: West Village, New York
Interior Design by Tobi Wright of InsideWright
Photography: Gieves Anderson
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