Tranquil Spaces: Almora
BY NIPA DOSHI AND JONATHAN LEVIEN
Starting fresh for the new month is a great opportunity to simplify.
In our busy, over-scheduled lives, we could all use a bit of quite. While most of us do not have time for long mediation sessions everyday, tranquil spaces in our home allow us to find a few personal moments to slow down and breathe.
NIPA DOSHI & JONATHAN LEVIEN
“It is a primal human need to be warm, protected, and sheltered but equally to be engaged with our surroundings.”
When designing a tranquil space, many of us focus on elements like walls and floors, but furniture and fixtures are equally important. These elements add interest and character to a space and when chosen correctly they create a minimalist, calming environment — the perfect retreat.
British designers Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien explain, “It is a primal human need to be warm, protected, and sheltered but equally to be engaged with our surroundings.” This was their philosophy when they designed the Almora armchair for B&B Italia.
Named after the Indian region that offers a breathtaking view of the Himalayas, Almora is meant to be “a haven from the world, a place for contemplation and reading from where one can admire magnificent snow-capped peaks; as protective as a second skin, enveloping like a soft blanket.”
Almora’s sensual play on enveloping shapes evoke sensations of comfort, and the combination of organic materials like leather and shearling stand in appealing contrast to the chair’s clean modern silhouette.
The layering together of natural leather, shearling, and wood, all materials that breathe and age gracefully, enhances our sense of physical well-being and permanence. Almora encourages us to care for our material environment, to look after our things so we may cherish for a long time.
The designers add, “The magic and mystery of Almora is that the screws are invisible!”
Almora’s pure lines and natural colours help achieve an elegant minimalist look, thereby creating peaceful energy and a positive atmosphere in your tranquil space.