Use Your Words – Make a Statement with Typography

In a world that is increasingly being over taken by “tweeting” and virtual discussion it is fitting that there is an increasing trend for decorating interiors with words, it is equally perfect for those who have a penchant for language over art, or indeed have a love for both.

Typographic decor can cover a variety of styles and as such create a great variety of different looks, whether your style be industrial, a little shabby chic, simple and clean, or full-out bling and glamour. Clean-lined and bold text can be used to create a more modern look, whilst old correspondence imagery forms a more vintage style. The words can be used in a way that means something to you personally and creates a unique conversation piece.

Typographic style does not need to stop at the walls, it can be used on furniture, crockery and linens and jewellery to name but a few…..so as many a conscientious parent says to their whining child “USE YOUR WORDS!!!”

Here are a few ideas and designers who embrace this philosophy…….

Commercial

Casa Do Conto

Casa Do conto is portuguese for “House of Tales”, is a boutique hotel in Oporto Portugal.  The hotel uses typography to bring to life the history of the building itself and the surroundings in which it is located. It mixes the granite stone of the old facades and brings it into the present with the use of Concrete in the staircases and ceilings.  The ceilings in the six separate rooms have been engraved with the creations from authors relating to the city, the architecture and the history of the house itself. The rooms themselves are very minimalist, which points you to the statement being the written words on the ceiling.

“It is, indeed, a kind of “fossil architecture” that comes to life.”

The use of typography, which marks the difference in personality of each space has already been awarded with the 2011 SEGD Design Awards, and has received the Golden Award of the European Design Awards in the category “Signs & Displays”.

Whilst this may be a little extravagant for the everyday apartment, it shows you how you can use just simple typography to create a statement in a very minimalist interior.

 Gordon Young

Gordon Young is a visual artist who focuses on creating art for the public domain. His work ranges from sculptures to typographic pavements for places as disrelated as government headquarters and village squares.

 Gordon has created a ‘forest’ of oak columns which are sited throughout a UK library and installed from floor to ceiling like supporting pillars. Gordon worked with typographers Why Not Associates to design the columns. Each of the 14 solid oak columns reflect different subjects from the gothic to the romantic and are sited in specific relevant locations within the library.

For the Home

Harmonie-intérieure

For those who love the written word an easy and relatively inexpensive way to add it to you home are using the wall decals from Harmonie-intérieure.  Although based in France they do have them in English, but if you so choose you could add a little francais to your home.

….. Or you can do it yourself with a few letters to make up the alphabet or a phrase.

source chris and paige blogspot

…or glam up some stairs….

…or add a little type flavor on everything

Make a “statement” with furniture…

Tabisso make chairs and lighting which literally enables you to make a literal statement, they come in letters A through to Z and 0 to 9, with a few exclamation mark lights to finish the piece.

…….or alphabetically order your undies!… with this Kent and London printing block inspired chest of drawers….

For those who prefer to eat their words….. there are these simple statement plates from Christopher Jagmin.

And for those who prefer the softer option….

French company “Bonjour Mon Coussin” have the perfect cushions

Or type while you dream….. with these Anthropologie typeface bedsheets

And if jewellery is more your thing, then you are not left out….

Lally have some upcycled jewellery which breaths new life into the typewriter…..

So before words begin to fail me…..

 On with the colourful journey……………………

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