50 DIGS.NET
| 2.5.2021
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P R O F I L E | C B 2
(OPENING PAGE) FEATURING A
SIMPLE SILHOUETTE, HANDWOVEN
RATTAN AND MIDTONE WOOD, THE
NADI CANE BED IS A CENTERPIECE OF
CB2'S FALL 2020 COLLECTION. (THIS
PAGE) INSPIRED BY SOFT BRUTALISM,
THE LINE FEATURES AN ARRAY OF
COMPLEMENTARY PIECES, INCLUDING
THE LAWNDALE SADDLE LEATHER
DAYBED WITH CHROME BASE; BIXBY
CONSOLE TABLE; AMATI BURL WOOD
ENTRYWAY CABINET AND AZALEA
BROWN CHAIR.
S AN ARCHITECTURAL MOVEMENT, BRUTALISM WAS
not widely embraced. The raw power of the vernac-
ular and its profuse use of concrete resulted in
many hulking structures, but stylistically, its shelf
life was short.
Looking to Brutalist buildings, au courant brand CB2 created
a collection of furnishings and accessories based on a style
it describes as "soft brutalism," combining "rough shapes,
organic textures and a calming neutral palette." Materially,
the line references the style's trademark concrete and features
traces of thickness, but the applications are fresh and surprising.
Tension underscores the collection, which includes the Carve
Travertine Cocktail Tables by Studio Anansi and the Tablon
Snow Sofa in a luscious linen blend, along with other decadent
designs that have maximalist appeal. The thread line throughout
is the tension of tempered opulence between 1970s Italian
modernism and the clean and sinuous contemporary aesthetic.
Along with the line's aforementioned furnishings is a marble
accent table with disc-shaped top; a curvaceous, 1970s-in-
spired Brace Leather Sofa by Jannis Ellenberger; a variety of
seating with different shapes; almost dystopian oval dining
tables, and accents including the Rouge glass taper holders,
Troy Large White Vase and Faux Antelope Hide Rug. True to the
collection's brutalist mood, all pieces pronounce themselves,
whether used separately or together in a striking tableau, with
a decorative force that transports one into the arms of a plush,
cosmopolitan salon. While not timid, the collection is still very
much refined, speaking to both sophistication and the return
to a more vibrantly imagined space. CB2.com
A
PHOTOS:
COURTESY
OF
CB2
Sumptuously
Seventies
Contemporary brand CB2 explores
the softer side of Brutalism with a
collection inspired by the imposing
architectural style, but streamlined
for today.
