Memphis style in the interior

Along with classics, fashionable modern interiors do not lose their popularity. Designs with bright, rich colors look especially unusual. Memphis is one of these. In this article, we will look at its main features and unique features, and also figure out how to embody such a trend in your own apartment or house.

The vast majority of styles known at the moment are due to the era. Vivid examples are classics with its columns, expensive design elements, pastel colors or Provence with its rural flavor. But memphis is one of those few styles that has nothing to do with the era. It was created in the 80s of the last century in the capital of Italy, and its founder was the architect Ettore Sottsass.

Memphis became the epitome of a protest against the boring, minimalist styles that were popular in the 1950s. Interior designs embodied a real mixture of colors, different geometric shapes. The concept of the style was closely related to pop art and postmodernism. Each piece of furniture was a unique creation. I must say that at first the style did not take root, in addition, it quickly faded away and was forgotten in 1988. However, fashion is quite changeable, and this applies not only to clothing, shoes and jewelry. Today, the memphis style is rapidly returning to fashion again, and interior designers actively use it in their works.

A description of the memphis style would be incomplete without specifying some key points of direction.

• Application of various geometric shapes. Memphis interior is always full of images of triangles, squares, circles, as well as geometric ornaments.
• Bright and saturated colors. This direction is inherent in a real riot of colors, and the brighter they are, the better. Juicy yellows, greens, reds, pinks, blue shades are all welcome in this type of interior.
• Unusual accessories. In the Memphis direction, it is important to use accessories of unique shapes that are rarely found anywhere. Of course, they also have bright colors.
• Improvisation. This is the main rule of memphis. No designer knows in advance how this or that room will look. Thinking over design, playing with texture and color are a whole ritual.
• Use of inexpensive materials. Memphis does not strive for gloss and luxury - shocking becomes its task. Therefore, there is no point in making expensive finishes or buying exclusive accessories. But animal or plant motifs will be very useful here.

Furniture is the main element of the Memphis style, and its selection should be approached very carefully. Typically, these are monochrome elements with smooth lines and rounded corners. A clear geometry should be traced in the furniture.

The most famous furniture collection is called A tribute to Memphis, and it is a whole set of bright and juicy elements: sofas, chairs, small beds. Each item has a specific pattern or print. The shape of all models is practical, so they can be freely positioned in rooms, knowing that they will not take up a lot of space. Another popular model is the Grid sofa. It is a wooden structure with fabric cushions. The colors here are interspersed with each other, as well as textures.All this fully corresponds to the concept of the memphis style.

Many people like Memphis because there are no strict restrictions and established canons. This style is a real flight of imagination, with the help of it you can realize your wildest dreams with regards to design. However, it is better to adhere to some rules so that the work of art does not turn into a lurid room, where in a minute it will begin to ripple in the eyes.

Walls in Memphis tend to be fairly minimalistic. It can be nude, pastel, light gray, light lilac, pinkish and other soothing colors. Wallpaper, plaster, painting are welcome - the choice is only for the owner. But what will decorate the walls should no longer correspond to the strategy of minimalism.

Ceilings and floors in this direction are minimalistic, even a little austere. The ceiling can be plastered in plain white, its role in interior design is minimal. The floor is usually covered with a laminate with light woody tones. Sometimes there is such a solution as a "checkerboard", but then you need to be careful with the bright colors in the room.

One of the main features of the Memphis style is the application of the Color Block principle. This means that several colors will be used in the decoration of furniture at once. For example, one chair will combine yellow, blue and purple tones. There can be up to 5 such tones at the same time. Moreover, they can also have a pattern, print or ornament.

Memphis is a style of experimentation, so it is inappropriate to talk about any strict combinations of shades here. Red can be combined with blue, yellow with purple, blue with pink, in general, you can do anything here, the main thing is to make sure that all possible color palette is not mixed in the interior at once. Pick several colors, such as 4-5, and experiment with them creating different combinations.

If you already liked the memphis style, but such an assortment of versatile paints is baffling, do not despair. This style does not have to be flashy - there are interiors designed in the direction of Memphis and having a calm look. In them, brightness is inherent exclusively in accessories, and the number of colors for combinations is not as large as in the standard design. The main thing is that there are different geometric shapes in space.

It is worth noting that in terms of style and color scheme, the memphis style is very similar to fusion, there is only one difference in general: geometric shapes are needed in memphis. And they can be seen most clearly in decorations and accessories. If we talk about the living room, then long multi-level shelves in the form of a square or rectangle will be incredibly appropriate here. You can place souvenirs or framed photographs on them. Another essential accessory is a painting.

There may be several pictures, then they need to be arranged asymmetrically. For example, the small ones will "diverge" to the sides of the large one, or one will be higher, and all the rest - lower. Comics, beautiful bright or black and white posters can replace pictures. For bedrooms, photo collages with memorable moments will become a popular solution.In children's and teen rooms, you can hang a brightly decorated collage with the child's wishes or goals that he would like to achieve in the near future. In the kitchen, a bright tile apron or several small rectangular paintings will be appropriate.

Make sure you have enough textiles in the room. For example, curtains or curtains will become mandatory. Only bright, and only light. The use of a drawing, print is allowed. The same print can be applied to other types of textiles: capes for ottomans, pillowcases for pillows, bedspreads. Polka dots, rhombuses, spirals, a cell look beautiful. There must be multi-colored towels in the kitchen. It is recommended to put rugs or rugs on the floors in rich colors; the skin of an animal will also be a good solution. It is also worth noting that Memphis "loves" oriental themes, so Turkish patterns are always a win-win idea.

Another point about memphis is the unusual shapes of accessories. Pick up what no one else will have. Chandeliers and shades are often hung on cables, they look avant-garde. The shape can be any, but the more unique it is, the more it will correspond to the concept of direction. Various figurines, African masks, totems, sculptures, ornamental book and magazine holders are welcome. It is important that all this is arranged asymmetrically, but not randomly.

Our selection of photographs will allow you to make sure that the memphis style is a really bright and distracting solution from the gray routine.

• Living room, where the Color Block technique is actively used, which means mixing several colors at once. The furniture looks extremely unusual, but this interior cannot be called tasteless.

• Bedroom in memphis style. The rather minimalistic finish of the floor, ceiling and walls echoes favorably with the rich colors of furniture and accessories.

• Another living room. Thanks to the high ceilings and huge windows, every guest who comes here will be able to fully enjoy the brightness and uniqueness of the environment. Small sofas, reminiscent of children's plasticine, look especially interesting.

• A living room in which asymmetry can be traced even in the appearance of the walls. The accessories are all different, but together they form an integral composition that attracts the eye.

• Quite calm, if I may say so about Memphis, the room. The main colors are pink and blue. The emphasis is not on them, but on the strangeness of the things that make up the interior: a column, an unusual ceiling, a non-standard doorway.

• Neo-memphis style in the kitchen. The atmosphere is quite calm, somewhat reminiscent of a children's dollhouse. It is interesting that not a single item stands out from the range: the chairs are made the same, the equipment is hidden, plates and cups are not visible. Very nice and simple.

• And this is another memphis-style bedroom. Pink here is interestingly combined with yellow, and attention is immediately drawn to the ceiling fan, unusual furniture and a headboard. Such a bedroom looks like a frame from a science fiction movie.

For the memphis style, see the video.