Recently, we came across a house tour of a highly renovated apartment in Madrid. It included one “before” picture that made our heart sink: OMG, we thought, look what they covered up!
During the demolition, a beautifully textured wall was revealed.
IN our cropped version, you can see what a compelling detail this could have made to “break” the very tight, perfect style of renovated space.
It reminded us of other spaces we’ve seen where a bit of the history and structure was laid bare. Photographer Maria Robedlo celebrated this uncovered wall in her studio renovation.
Occasionally, she’d use it as a backdrop in a photograph….
The question: When to Leave Rough and Aged As is?
View the whole slick renovation here.
This reminds me of the disaster that the MoMA director made of the beautiful museum that was PS1 in Long Island City. One of the repeated joys of visiting that fabulous contemporary art museum – one of the top museums in NYC, in my opinion – was to see all the art in the context of walls that were layers of paint, texture, history – a long and storied history it always seemed. The walls themselves were art to enjoy and ponder — all through the stairwells and floors, where art was in every nook and cranny.
One day a few years back I wandered into the museum to enjoy some pieces and – shock and horror!! – all the walls were painted BEIGE. Plain, uninteresting, corporate beige. What a mistake – a loss that can never be rectified or reversed. Ugh. It makes going to the museum – a museum I have loved for many decades – a nearly unpleasant experience, Every time to sadly remember what was stolen from it.
Sorry to go on and on – but this was such a resonant post, Sally, And perhaps there are some New Yorkers out there who can remember with me the pre-corporatized PS1….
That IS a serious disaster, from art people no less (you’d think they’d know better but who knows whose making the decisions.) Leaving this as is, NOT cleaning them up can take courage in these days of moderne, controlled, neutral “perfection”. I’m glad you have the memories at least.