St Leger & Viney: Colourful New Designs By India Mahadvi

India Mahdavi needs little introduction – famous for designs that play with colour, scale and pattern, her signature is creating eclectic, original interiors that quickly become destinations in their own right. De Gournay presents the latest colourful designs by this renowned designer, now available in South Africa, through agents, St Leger & Viney.

French-Iranian Mahdavi credits her worldly upbringing for the scope of her work – the diversity of which means that to collaborate with Mahdavi is to take a step into the unknown… One which De Gournay took with pride in two recent projects: the first to recreate the private apartment at the Paris showroom, the second to design the latest showroom in Beirut.

Abbasi In The Sky

Mahdavi’s interiors are sympathetic to their context; in her own words, she ‘listens to’ the space and then responds in her inimitable way. It is no surprise then that Mahdavi started with quintessential de Gournay, and injected it with her inventive imagination. Taking the concept of de Gournay’s panoramic wallcoverings, and weaving into her design the romance and discipline of miniature Persian paintings.

The result is Abbasi In The Sky a beautiful floating composition, named for Reza Abbãsi – a 16th century artist of the ‘Isafahan’ school.

Arranged in scenes, each tableau is depicted in delicate detail to tell a story of brave warriors on fine steads. The eye is caught by the ornate costumes of the riders and their horses, while the wild animals also look on from their perches on the rocks.

Expressions and gestures lend emotion to the narrative – such as the horsewoman gently cradling her horse’s neck as she offers it water. The scenes framed by a wild tangle of branches and blossom – a familiar de Gournay motif.

In the Paris apartment, Abbasi in the Sky is painted on vibrant ‘Baby Blue’ dyed silk, and in keeping with the walls, Mahdavi has staged a traditional Middle Eastern raised dais of low-level seating. Clad in plush carpet and piled with velvet, hand-embroidered cushions, visitors are invited to sit here to enjoy the spectacle spanning the walls – creating a typically immersive Mahdavi interior.

Such is the versatility of Abbasi In The Sky that it also plays a starring role in de Gournay’s new showroom in Beirut. This time hand-painted onto black dyed-silk, the dark background serves to bring the story into sharp focus in this more modern application.

Chez Nina

In Paris, Mahdavi has juxtaposed the pictorial Abbasi In the Sky with an adjoining room hung in her graphic Chez Nina design – in a new orange colourway, also installed in her own Rue las Cases showroom.

She marries the designs with repeated use of colour and shapes to create interiors that sit graciously together. The lilac flooring takes the predominate rock shade from Abbasi In The Sky through both rooms, while the orange coats on the riders nods to the vibrant Chez Nina.

These new designs have been executed with exquisite skill, pairing de Gournay’s artistry with Mahdavi’s veuve for colour and display. The two showrooms are a masterclass in interior design, which represents the brand perfectly.

Find these latest designs available locally from St Leger & Viney.