Lee Stanton Blog

“We have always been inspired to bring in antiques and vintage furniture in to our projects because those pieces bring a soulful and unique edge to the homes we create. The layered patina from a beat up leather sofa, or an old wood cabinet mixed with soft neutral textures, helps to balance both newer homes but also homes that have been built years and years ago. We like homes that feel comfortable, sophisticated and put together yet feel as if they have always been there. We like homes to tell a story and the inclusion of antiques tell a rich, layered and historical story to the homes we work on, this is important to us as designers and to our clients”

- Krista Schrock + David John Dick, principals at DISC Interiors 

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 ABOUT DISC INTERIORS

Founded in 2011 by interior designers Krista Schrock and David John Dick, DISC Interiors has been hailed for creating warm modern designs that exude an “enviable California vibe.” Inspired by natural materials, tonal color palettes, and the distinctive work of artisans and craftspeople with whom they work, the duo strives to create homes that are as stylish and refined as they are effortless and comfortable. Krista and David’s combined backgrounds in styling and visual art, respectively, bring distinct yet complementary perspectives on interior design to their practice. Together, they seek out the finest in bespoke furnishings and patinaed vintage pieces to design their projects, which span from California to Maine. The result is homes rich with diverse textures and handcrafted furnishings that balance artful ease with modernity. 

A SELECTION OF THEIR WORK 

                         In Residence: Jasper Conran | via NOWNESS

François Halard via Apartmento Magazine

Comfort has come a long way from wooden and stone benches in the Middle Ages when it was thought that the body was diametrically opposed to the soul and that the body pulled us toward the sinful, sensual and earthly ways rather than the godly, spiritual and divine ways. The Renaissance was not only a fervent period of cultural, artistic, political and economic rebirth. It was also a period when we began to embrace the body in addition to the soul and the concept of comforting our body led to the development of comfort in the home. We started to see pillows on those hard benches in the 1600’s and eventually the concept of integrating comfort into a functional piece of furniture ie. upholstered furniture during the Elizabethan period in England and the Louis XIV period in France. Needless to say, it didn’t take long until the upholstered chair, settees, chaise lounges, canapes, daybeds and not to mention love seats became proliferate in Europe as well in England.

Needless to say comfort evolved and we saw entire rooms dedicated to comfort. ie. living or drawing rooms with the sofa as the mainstay. Sofas complete with designs that integrated carved wood frames integrated with upholstery were common in these earlier eras until the chesterfield in England retired the carved frames and introduced a fully cushioned yet still tailored sofa.

The delicate carved wood frames with swirls, stars, animals and angel wings were replaced with straight lines and geometric carved frames until the wood frame completely disappeared into the simplicity of the fully upholstered sofa as we know it today.

Ok enough about the evolution of the sofa. You are probably wondering about couches and how they fit into this story. It is said that sofas evolved from chairs with backs and arms to sit on whereas couches evolved from daybeds and chaise lounges. They did not have traditional arms and backs and were intended to lay on. Sofas are typically larger than couches and accommodate more
people to sit in a social setting where people congregate such as a sitting room, living room and family room. Couches are smaller and usually more comfy for you to lay on alone or more intimately with another usually in a more private area of the house such as a lounge or bedroom. Simply speaking, I like to think of them as a sofa for social or a couch to slouch.

Tufted Sofa, England circa 1880 via Lee Stanton 

Sources:
1st Photo:François Halard via @ApartamentoMagazine Instagram
2nd Photo: WRJ Design via @RushJenkins Instagram
3rd Photo: Clements Design via Architectural Digest

The Kennels at Goodwood, Sussex 

I would venture to say that when you are asked what comes to mind when you think French, your answer would be French wine, food, fashion and romance. Likewise, when you think Italian it will probably be pasta, clothing, leather goods, opera and drama.  When it comes to English it definitely won’t be food, probably not fashion or clothing, maybe literature but more often than not it will be English furniture, architecture and perhaps nobility.  This is not to say that the French or Italians did not have their impact on architecture and furniture.  In fact, their bold designs in various periods over time have emotionally influenced design in furniture and architecture more than any other country in the world.   So why do we relate the Brits to architecture and furniture?   Their designs were not bold.  They were not emotional. And they certainly were not romantic.

I believe that it is the safe, steady and consistent nature of British furniture or architecture that stands out over time.  It is humble but makes a statement.  It is strong but not dismissive. It is elegant but not gauche. If you were to relate British furniture to people, you would say they are stable, straightforward and someone you can rely on.  They don’t stand in your way and they definitely get along with others. They can be very proper but they know how to have fun.
 

When you look at the various styles and periods of French and to some extent Italian furniture, as beautiful as they are, they do not translate or flow into other styles or periods as smoothly as a Georgian piece into Regency or Victorian.  Or even more so another culture or style.  A nice Georgian piece goes nicely with an industrial piece from France or Belgium.  A Regency piece will probably flow nicely with an abstract painting from Eastern Europe.  But you probably would not mix a Louis XVI piece with industrial desk or abstract art.