Designer Profile: John Barnwell

John Barnwell, of J. R. Barnwell Design, Inc., welcomed me into his gorgeous home only three months after moving there. As I wandered through his rooms, I was stunned to find everything in perfect order so quickly after his move, including art up on the walls. John is an avid collector of art, and a strong believer in trusting intuition when choosing what pieces to live with. As he gave me a tour of his collection, what resonated most was that each piece had a narrative that would draw you in, whether it was the life story of the artist, or the tale of the gem he discovered on one of his travels.

Contact: jrbdesign@sympatico.ca

How would you define your style?

I would define my style as 'soft contemporary.' I believe in blending antique pieces either inherited from family, selected from finer antique shops or finds from flea markets abroad, coupled with contemporary/modern pieces that together create tension between both styles.

What is your design philosophy?

I believe a major part of my job as a designer is to 'push the envelope' for my clients: to move them out of their comfort zone. Travel is my biggest inspiration, but I also find it in books and fashion as well as hotel lobbies.

What draws you to a work of art?

I feel art is about beauty, and individual expression. I feel design, and how art plays a part in design is about being unique; it's about having your personality infused with your residence, and not having rooms look like everyone else's - not playing it safe. A great piece of art is something that should move you and that you'll want to keep forever.

Richard Herman (left)

Richard Herman

John purchased this photograph on a trip to California, and framed it at Art Interiors in a clean, silver frame.

Tammy Ratcliff

A fair sized mat and white frame creates impact in a subtle way (framed at Art Interiors).

David Gillanders (left), Dionne Simpson (right, top), Yael Brotman (right, bottom).

Richard Herman

Trevor Craig McDonnell (from this year's Festival of Smalls).

Russell Brohier (top), Erin Vincent (bottom).