SKIN DEEP
I used to visit regularly Adam Bray 's shop on Ledbury Road in Notting Hill, where, once passed the door the eye was always challenged with curious objects and items of furniture, often flirting with a combination of the unfamiliar and canny. Bray is a great raconteur, and the story about a piece was often as compelling as its aesthetic. The pieces were mixed together, seemingly with total irreverence for its origin, function and purpose, and the cool chic, no styling approach, gave room for a summation of details and the interplay of surfaces and textures. Bray's eye is faultless, and there no critique or arguments about style versus function and the attendant value judgements.
Now Bray has moved on and set-up a studio office from where he works closely with fastidious clients, with particular agendas. The past few years Bray had worked closely with the late Mark Birley, that is, until the Annabel's group (George, Mark's Club and Harry's Bar) was sold to tycoon Richard Caring. Since Bray is still involved in some projects with the family, and has work on progress with private club Aspinall. New ones are in the pipeline.
Bray has an affinity with beautiful leather and shearling, he uses mat finish buffalo hide for flooring, translucent vellum to cover walls or panel insets, and oh-so-soft, silver grey shearling to upholster masculine 1930s armchairs, (all skins are organically tanned). Bray works closely with interior designers and takes on private commissions too.
Adam Bray
www.hdldesign.co.uk/
adam@hdldesign.co.uk
07866 623 792
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