Friday Fun: Bauhaus Inspiration

Back in the days when I didn’t have children and lived on my own, I was very keen on a minimalist, clean-cut type of house. I still find them immensely restful, and couldn’t really cope with something very flowery, fussy and maximalist. But the pictures below are more aspirational than realistic for my current lifestyle. Perhaps the Bauhaus aesthetic is more appealing on the outside than the inside?

I think that sofa needs to be more comfortable, but I love the rug. From Livingetc.

Functional and light-filled, Kasthall, from Dezeen.com

I do like the calm of this bedroom – and the cosiness of the fireplace, but it does feel a bit hotel-like. From Design Tips.

More warmth and comfort in this living room, photo by Stephen Kent Johnson.

Bauhaus principles with nature coming into the house – and lots of bookshelves in this villa in Haifa, from Interior Design Ideas.

A skylight to maximise the sunshine and help the indoor tree grow, from Dwell

The contemporary version of Bauhaus is of course the Huf Haus, with its countless combinations of glass walls.

Friday Fun: Being a Film Star

Last week I headed back to my workplace for the first time in 18 months and mentioned that, despite the discomfort of commuting and fear of Covid, one of the absolute perks of my job is working an iconic building such as Senate House. I have always been an Art Deco fan, and the architect, Charles Holden, was clearly also influenced by the Bauhaus style when he proposed a grandiose scheme in the early 1930s. Lack of funding and the start of the war meant those plans were abandoned and only a small fraction was actually built. Nevertheless, it is an impressive building both inside and out, and has starred in many a film or TV series. You can find a full list of films, TV productions and advertisements in which the Grand Old Lady has played a part here, but I’d just like to highlight a few personal favourites.

The Ministry of War was actually located at Senate House during WW2 and inspired Orwell, so it’s only natural that 1984 should be filmed there. (And no, our Room 101 is not the same, although it seems to be popular with visitors.)

The tower of the library stood in for Gotham City Town Hall in at least two different Batman films.

One of the films I adored as a child (because of David Bowie and because it was far too naughty for my age) was The Hunger. Senate House was obviously Park West Clinic back in 1983. From British-Film-Locations.com

The Bodyguard TV series had one very explosive episode filmed in Senate House, when the PM (played by Keeley Hawes) gives a lecture at St Matthew’s College. The college library is of course Senate House Library.

The Cloisters, or passage linking the north and south wing of the building was the entrance to the American Embassy in the TV series Silent Witness. They were filming this when I went there for my job interview, so you can imagine my confusion.

I meaen… why couldn’t the interview have been the day that Cillian Murphy was filming Batman Begins?

I was very surprised to find out that Patrick Melrose’s hotel in New York City bore more than a passing resemblance to the central hall.

This is what it might look like on a more typical occasion such as graduation.