Seeds of design:
Modern drinks trolley serves up a garden
This wonderfully eye-catching modern drinks trolley called Chariot by GamFratesi really caught my eye in the Denmark Design Museum. Bold in colour and in style, it takes no prisoners.
The GamFratesi Chariot drinks trolley
The seed of inspiration
The chariot is a side-table composed of three elements; wheels, trays and structure. The wheels, which in common trolleys are usually very small have been made huge and become the central element of the design, giving the trolley an iconic and unique expression. Its bold, no-nonsense colour and its simple shapes give it a retro feel.
Modern Art Deco-inspired garden design
The budding garden design
This is a real no-nonsense design. Strong shapes reflective of the drinks trolley span the garden. Two identical circles laid with porcelain paving and with planting allow space for dining or sitting. A rectangular artificial lawn fills the centre of the space and is bounded on all four sides by a pathway. The narrow pathway running down the left hand side is reminiscent of the handle on the trolley. The wider path running down the right hand side echoes the width of the MDF trays. Steel or high-gloss fabricated archways interrupt the wide pathway adding a sense of drama to the design. Nandina domestica or Heuchera ruffles fill the plant beds, giving it a sassy and excitable red tone.
Other influences bloom
The era of Art Deco was fabulously modern with bold, symbolic shapes moving away from the previous Art Nouveau wave. Here, Art Deco influences are from Marion Dorn rugs right through to iconic Bakelite radios. László Moholy-Nagy artwork is hugely inspirational, as are the iconic shapes in the Nord Express travel poster.
Influences include Bakelite radios, Marion Dorn rugs and László Moholy-Nagy artwork.