GUBI x File Under Pop
THE RHYTHM OF THE ROOM
A well-designed interior is like a well-crafted piece of music. Beauty is achieved when every element comes together in harmony – when every instrument is in alignment. And if it is the choice of furniture that writes the melody, then color and texture are the drumbeat and bass line.
PLAYING WITH COLOR AND TEXTURE
GUBI has transformed a historic property in Charterhouse Square, Clerkenwell, into an immersive vision of contemporary townhouse living. Working on the townhouse’s walls, ceilings, and other internal surfaces, File Under Pop has set the stage for GUBI’s portfolio of iconic modern design for shine.
Led by founder and creative director Josephine Akvama Hoffmeyer, who has worked in the field of surface design for over 20 years, the creative studio File Under Pop specializes in surface design, playing with color and texture to create the rhythm of a room.
BEYOND THE SURFACE
Combining traditional craftsmanship with modern technology, they use tiles crafted from Spanish clay and Italian lava stone, matt paint, and hand-painted wallpaper to elevate walls, floors, and ceilings, resulting in characteristic surfaces and richly layered interior environments. When it came to developing the interior surfaces of GUBI House, London there could therefore be no better collaborator.
‘Surface design can be key in creating meaningful connections across rooms and between objects, interiors, artworks, and the people inhabiting a space.’
– Josephine Akvama Hoffmeyer, founder, File Under Pop
The shared aim for both GUBI and File Under Pop was to ensure that the GUBI House, London had the feel – not just of a showroom – but of an authentic, liveable space, with distinct design stories and a coherent aesthetic and tactile expression running throughout. For GUBI, this meant thoughtfully combining and juxtaposing pieces of furniture to create nuanced themes – from elegant 1970s leisure and boho chic to boutique-hotel elegance and laid-back communal living – further enhanced by File Under Pop’s thoughtfully curated surface design. For File Under Pop, the project was about finding a balance between furniture, light, and texture to create an atmosphere that enhanced the house’s individual narratives and the overall experience of its spaces.
THE ART OF INTERIORS
As well as composing the palette for the house – a base of warm neutrals punctuated with statement color – File Under Pop has paid meticulous attention to the interplay of surfaces in the space. Hand-painted fabrics in forest green, interspersed with stripes of tangerine, adorn the walls of the ground-floor ‘dining room,’ for example, creating an appealing contrast with the gray smoothness of the custom-made lava-stone countertops and fire surrounds. In the bathrooms and kitchens, File Under Pop’s clay tiles are complemented by custom-made limestone basins.
For Josephine Akvama Hoffmeyer,The result of the collaboration evokes a landscape painting, ‘with File Under Pop creating the large surfaces and general textures, while GUBI is carefully placing the shapes and sculptures that add volume and create context of the story in the picture. Together, we are creating a three-dimensional painting and a powerful visual and emotional experience for people visiting GUBI House London.’
File Under Pop
Paint, tiles, countertops, sinks, and fireplaces. fileunderpop.com
Kvadrat
Roller blinds and curtains. kvadrat.dk
TONI Copenhagen
Kitchen and bathroom fixtures. tonicopenhagen.com
Reform Copenhagen
Kitchen units. reformcph.com
V-ZUG
Kitchen appliances. vzug.com
Ege Carpets
Carpets. egecarpets.com
Artcoustic
Speakers and audio. artcoustic.com
Corston
Fixings and interior detailing. corston.com
The Radiator Company
Radiators. theradiatorcompany.co.uk
August Sandgren
Leather goods. augustsandgren.com