Say hello to the design world’s most approachable pieces
Words by MELISSA GOLDSTEIN
Perhaps there is no other aesthetic trend of recent time so ripe for psychoanalysis than the unabashedly cheery decorative movement known as neotenic design, denoted by a lack of sharp edges and an abundance of childlike silhouettes.
A reaction to the contentious political landscape or the realities of global warming? Perhaps. Or it might just be that our collective longing for comfort paired with warm minimalism has reached a fever pitch. (So much so that Brooklyn’s A/D/O design center devoted an entire exhibition to the phenomenon last spring.)
Whatever your theory of choice, it’s impossible to ignore designers’ infatuation with all things chubby-shaped. From Jack Rabbit Studio’s doll-like daybed to Eny Lee Parker’s modern classic Oo Lamp, we’ve put together our own edit of the furnishings that continue to captivate.
Feature image: TALBOT & YOON Kirbies vases, $80 each, talbotandyoon.com.
This story originally appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of C magazine and has been updated as of June 13, 2019
