Grammy award-winning singer/instrumentalist/songwriter Lenny Kravitz is bringing his boho chic design sensibility to CB2, and the collection has all the modern splash we’ve come to expect from Crate & Barrel’s little decor sister.
Each piece is inspired by Kravitz’s global lifestyle and furnishings from his homes in Paris, Brazil and the Bahamas. “Traveling the world for 25 years, you see things, you experience cultures,” Kravitz says. “It all comes out in the design.”
My favorites are the metal tables
Metal and leather merge in the origami-like form of the Nova side table. In a tactile and graphic juxtaposition of materials, supple black leather frames a faceted brass-plated metal base. Though it looks simple, the design is quite complex. “It adds an element of reveal,” Kravitz Design says. “From one side it’s a tailored table. Then you spin it around, and it unveils itself to you.”
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The Topanga corner bar brings new scale and dimension to the natural beauty of wood. Walnut veneer floats on a plinth for an illusion of lightness and tucks into an otherwise wasted corner for big impact in small spaces. Topanga’s uncluttered lines makes it a versatile storage piece as well, with a shallow drawer on top and open shelf below. Think bar, books, boom box. Custom speaker cabinets in Kravitz’s Bahamas home inspired its geometric form.
Light, soft and luxe
The Lola Table Lamp lights up a room in a big way. Almost three-feet high, its oversized bottle silhouette assumes form in sandcast aluminum lacquered in brass and polished by hand. Contrasting pebbled and smooth surfaces blend in one seamless, asymmetrical flow, creating a brilliant play of light and shadow. When the lamp is lit, the elliptical white cotton shade directs the light as it plays off the warm glow of the syncretic base surface.
According to Kravitz Design, “This lamp is really about scale. It doubles as a sculpture and is a sure statement-making piece.” Yes, you definitely see it from across the room and want to examine it up close and personal. It’s my second-favorite piece, next to the Bousaf table, which it resembles. Gorgeous!
In addition to the sheepskin, throw pillows include dhurrie weaves, screen-printed, nubby weaves, velvet, and quilted designs. The geometrics in the pillow designs, as well as the alternating black and white bands in the Changes rug create a sense of movement. The rug also echoes the tone-on-tone bands in the Changes console and is hand-tufted in New Zealand and Indian wool. “We wanted it to feel soft and dense with a luxe pile that keeps the pattern bold and sharp,” Kravitz Design said.
The Rhapsody wall hanging is a rhythm of color, pattern and texture in an abstract nod to what Kravitz Design calls “a bold, tactile combo of 70s glam patterns, natural fiber macramé, and woven wall art.” In an intricate process, jute fibers are dyed and woven by hand into a graphic tapestry of earthy tones punctuated by pops of muted red. It’s inspired by a piece hanging in Kravitz’s own home and, like the Vibrations shag rug shown in some of the other room photos, works its magic on the wall or under foot.
Design is natural progression of his art
Kravitz is known for a “retro” blend of music that takes its inspiration from many genres, as well as playing ALL the instruments in his recordings. That said, his foray into design surprised no one, least of all him. “Design has always been a great interest of mine,” he says. “Even as a child, it was very important as to how my room was arranged and what items were in it.”
Kravitz is also a collector. His favorite piece? This credenza—a.k.a. “The Beast”—designed by Paul Evans.