Themes & Variations: Expert Design Picks from the London Showroom

S ince its opening in 1984 in Notting Hill, Themes & Variations has been recognised as a leading specialist in post-war and contemporary design. The selection of works reflects a passionate commitment to offering an exceptional and unexpected complement of important vintage and contemporary furniture, lighting, glass and ceramics, and fine and graphic arts.

The pieces part of the Showroom: The London Edit selection at Sotheby’s echo the gallery aesthetic. Including works by Christian Astuguevieille, Gio Ponti, Tom Dixon or even Jacques Charpentier, the selection reflects what could be the interior of a design aficionado nowadays.

I particularly like the work of the French designer Christian Astuguevieille. This mirror is a statement of his work with rope and his will to give back tactility its importance in design. Someone looking at one of his pieces is instantly willing to touch it.

The Gio Ponti desk, on its side, is a statement of the Italian mid-century elegance and Ponti’s great knowledge of proportions and materials. Both pieces, even though there is almost 70 years between them, look terribly contemporary.

Tom Dixon's Crown Chair could bring a twist to any interior by giving it a fun and humorous British touch. One of Dixon's earliest works, the Crown chair is definitely one of his most emblematic pieces. Tom Dixon’s name has been a mainstay in the world of British design, and his forward thinking approach to objects has seen him expand from interiors and furniture in to home accessories, lighting and scent – all whilst operating at the forefront of sustainability.

Nadine Charteret’s table, seems designed to play with light. As seen in the picture, the limit between the piece itself and its shadow is almost disappearing, creating a dreamy atmosphere in which the table could almost been seen as floating in the air. The sculptural nature of the object would lend itself to a space that is fairly minimal in order to maximise its presence.

These pieces are only part of the selection, which would be attractive to any collector and is an open door to many more design discoveries.

Our collectors are currently looking for unique but functional pieces that they can live with. The current trend is not to follow a trend but to find pieces that will create an unique and personalised interior that reflects their owner’s taste and personality while complementing well the artwork on the walls. While most of us spend more time than ever at home, our collectors want to be surrounded by comfortable and edgy pieces that can bring part of the design history to their home.

Visit Showroom: The London Edit to see more pieces, and shop Design, Jewellery and Ceramics in person

Showroom | The London Edit