Brenda Atkinson : Style
Faith Popcorn may have a silly name, but this is the woman who coined the term cocooning way back in the 1980s to describe a lifestyle trend that would hit the upwardly mobile in the beleaguered 1990s. Popcorn predicted that in an increasingly confusing and often hostile urban environment, people would make their homes an ultimate refuge. Technology, she said, would enable us to leave hearth and home less frequently, and ultimately allow more people to work from the cosy cocoon of the home office.
Generation Furniture in Johannesburg has used Popcorns precepts to conduct research into South African lifestyle requirements. The result is a seductive range of customised furniture that takes fashions concept of ready-to-wear and applies it to interior design trends. The Ready-to- Live range is serious design thats fun and functional.
Its lines are clean, clear, and simple. Its colours are natural, quiet, soothing, and modern. Its materials are organic. The emphasis with all the pieces, including a nifty home office range, is on intelligent, modular design that saves space and lets you play with space.
Rather than going for tricksy design features, the Generation team has turned out individual pieces with a contemporary but classical feel, so you shouldnt feel bored with them by next week. Theyve also kept in mind that not all lovers of design are wealthy, so you wont still be paying for them in the next decade.