When an orchestra prepares before a performance, every musician tunes their instrument to A=440 Hz (also known as concert pitch). The resonance of this note, played in perfect harmony, not only transforms a group of individual artists into a whole, but also sends a ripple of anticipation through the room. It’s this sound, and the response it elicits, that will be a key theme throughout the space Pirajean Lees is creating in collaboration with fabric house Dedar for WOW!House 2025.
But why is a library inspired by a noise? ‘We were thinking about the expectations of the room,’ recalls Clemence Pirajean. ‘They are quiet places traditionally, so that led us to considering sound and the control of sound.’ The result is a richly decorated ‘sound library’, complete with a bespoke listening chair (record player on the arm and storage for vinyl built into its frame).
‘You can influence people’s experience, people’s comfort with sound,’ continues Pirajean who, with co-founder James Lees, conceived of a cocooning circular design that sits within the predetermined rectangular dimensions of their space (one of 22 full-sized rooms and outdoor areas to be masterminded by the world’s top interior designers), welcoming people into its centre.
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On the floor will be a bespoke round rug with a Chladni pattern (created using sound vibrations) that is a visual representation of concert pitch. Surrounding it will be the listening chair, a bespoke sofa and also custom-made shelving lined with quilted velvet, like the inside of an instrument case. Several of the furniture pieces are part of Pirajean Lees’ new ‘Editions’ collection – sustainably made pieces crafted in partnership with the UK’s finest artisans.
Fabric is the ideal tool for controlling acoustics in an interior, so Dedar could not have been a better collaborator for this project – its ‘A Love Supreme’ curtains, punctuated with laser-cut holes, are layered around the outer walls of the room, while patterns including ‘Aplomb’ and ‘Splendido’ help to build the atmosphere of the space.
Alex Dauley, Nicola Harding and Minnie Kemp, design director at Kit Kemp Design Studio will discuss how a human-centric design approach can conjure spaces with a deep personal connection to the people who use them.
‘I went to the launch of Dedar’s new collection in Paris in January, and it was in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where the jazz clubs used to be, back in the 1950s, 60s. My grandfather used to be a very famous French jazz drummer. He played with the likes of Sydney Bechet, Django Reinhardt, Bill Coleman and Yves Montand,’ says Pirajean. ‘It just felt like everything was aligned; like everyone was on the same wavelength, literally.’
The idea of the sound library, with its bohemian jazz-club spirit, was born. ‘We wanted to take a slightly different approach; not your expected Chelsea-townhouse space,’ she adds. ‘We wanted to communicate a strong narrative and allow visitors to experience somewhere designed by taking a different angle, capturing a moment of pause and excitement.’
Visitors will have to wait until 3 June to experience Pirajean Lees and Dedar’s room, which will be open as part of Wow!House at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, until 3 July, but excitement is already at fever (no, concert) pitch. pirajeanlees.com
To learn more about WOW!House 2025, including everything you need to plan your visit, head to dcch.co.uk/wowhouse
