Picture this: It's a relaxing spring evening and you're listening to your favorite jazz record as you sip an expertly made French 75 cocktail—gin, champagne, lemon juice, and a bit of sugar—while lounging…on a dowdy brown Barcalounger.
Wait. That doesn't feel right.
Now imagine you're sipping that same French 75, this time on a chair that makes you feel like a true furniture connoisseur: the Eames lounge chair. Better, isn't it? Where you drink is as important as what you drink.
Let's embark on a journey into the art of Interior Mixology, or pairing interiors with drinks. There are millions of potential combinations, and we're asking you to share your ideal drink-and-interior pairings in the comments section below. Remember, this is more an art than a science. To kick things off, three suggestions:
1. Papa Bear Chair and Gin Gimlet
World-renowned Danish furniture designer Hans Wegner mastered the balance of form and function in his work. His Papa Bear Chair, for example, is perfect for cozying up at the end of the day for a long reading session and yet it's got serious style. A drink of equal caliber is required. A drink that's easy to make but difficult to master. There's one classic cocktail that fits the bill: the Gin Gimlet. Gin, lime juice, and simple syrup. That's it. Simplicity is bliss, isn't it?
2. Peacock Chair and Mojito
Next up, let's look at a seat with a long history. From its origins as a throne in East Asia to its renaissance as the chair du jour in the free-wheeling 1960s, it's Morticia Addams's favorite piece of furniture, the Peacock Chair. The Peacock Chair is all about sun, chill vibes, and sitting like a boss. When it comes to drinks that can match its energy, there's none more suited to the task than the dangerously refreshing Cuban mojito. Originally called "El Draque" in honor of the explorer Sir Francis Drake, this cocktail—white rum, sparkling water, lime juice, mint, sugar—has the same effervescent spirit as the Peacock Chair's, each of which nods at mingled cultures in an era of globalization.
3. Conversation pit and Negroni
Though Finnish-American modernist Eero Saarinen is most widely known for his TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and the St. Louis Arch, he also designed a handful of homes. Perhaps his most prominent residential work is the home of wealthy industrialist J. Irwin Miller. Its centerpiece: a luxe conversation pit.
This living room fixture is the life of the party, where discourse and hilarity ensue comfortably separated from everyday life. What drink is also the life of the party, tastes like candy, and oozes classiness? A quintessential Italian cocktail, the Negroni.
Next time you stumble upon a conversation pit, peel those oranges, break out the Campari and Vermouth, and have a ball.
These are our ideas. Now we want to hear about your dream drink-and-interior pairings! Go wild in the comments, and send us photos of your pairings by tagging #curbed on Instagram. Next week, we’ll share our favorites.
∙ Inside a 17th-Century Danish Manor Filled with Iconic Hans Wegner Designs [Curbed]
∙ Eero Saarinen and His Father Built Some Fab Homes Together [Curbed]
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