The Kitsch and the Curios
Location: East Sussex, England
Creative consultant: Tracy Nors
Photographer: Jesper Nors
All that is kitsch and retro
Four flights up and not for the shy and retiring, is the bijoux but perfectly formed home of Casper James.
A white Georgian building with lovely proportions, this home epitomizes all that is kitsch, retro and colourful in home design.
During his time in this bay windowed apartment, Casper has amassed an enviable collection of kitsch ornaments, retro lamps, granny throws, clocks, teapots, cushions, stuffed vintage toys and more. There are cabinets housing gleeful displays of retro originals and fabulous one off pieces of furniture such as the Formica topped table from the 50’s.
immaculate attention to detail
One would imagine that, with all of this going on, the rooms would feel cluttered, as each shiny or colourful object vies for attention with the next. However, the opposite is true. Casper’s immaculate attention to detail means that everything has been organised to sit wonderfully together, creating little narratives; sparking the imagination and delighting the viewer.
From tired to cool and beautiful
Casper has a background in Fine Art painting and Textiles; his Retro inspired paintings adorn the walls of this flat and hang together perfectly with his collections, to create a wonderfully uplifting and ‘happy’ environment. His day job involves sourcing and selling recycled and re-vamped furniture from a large space in an Emporium in Brighton UK. Casper has a knack of turning a tired looking item into something cool and beautiful. He works on these items in his small apartment. He explains, that his home is a bit like a ‘revolving showroom’ for his shop; as he buys a new item to re-use or sell on, there are inevitably some that find a place to stay!
“I’ve become much better at moving stuff out; if something new comes along, something else must go.” He says.
Moving through to the kitchen and the bedroom, I anticipate more of the same and am not disappointed. I am greeted with yet more colourful and fun displays.
Cake and a stags head
Casper makes tea in one of his many gorgeous teapots and produces a lovely cake from under a glass cloche, did I really expect anything less? It is this care and attention, lavished by Casper on all his salvaged items, that make it all so special.
He talks fondly about his bargains and favourite pieces like the stags head in the lounge, which he acquired cheaply because it only had one ear. Probably a piece that many had passed over due to the missing appendage, he knew he could do something to make it look good again. “I cut off the underside of the other ear to make a new one,” he explains, and you certainly can’t tell.
Walking back into the lounge, I have a sudden rush of nostalgia as I peep through the net curtains, across the sunny rooftops and down to the sea. I remember poodles, pink lipstick and lacy nylon.