Designer Josh Itiola Takes a Feelings Approach To His Eclectic Interiors
His tablescape essentials include a humorous tablecloth, clean-burning candles, and patterned napkins.
"I went to school for engineering but never did anything and still will never do anything with my degree," says Josh Itiola with a laugh, who eventually found the subject to be tedious. "I threw myself into it, partly because I'm Nigerian and it’s like one of four ‘essential’ careers you could go into, and I’ve always liked the idea of building and was interested in the inner workings of things." Even though Itiola discovered that his passion wasn’t in the granular technicalities of engineering, still, in a way, engineering has become an inadvertent throughline in Itiola’s design-minded career: His visions and pursuits include the crucial elements of problem-solving, innovating, designing, modifying, and creating systems that are functional. But ask Itiola and he’ll simply describe himself as a designer.
Itiola’s day job is at the Germany-founded, UK-based modular shelving company Vitsœ as a furniture planner, where he helps clients with the end-to-end process of layout and installing the 606 Universal Shelving System in their residential or commercial spaces. Itiola describes the Vitsoe customization system as "playing Tetris, allowing people to configure and move pieces around to benefit the user in any way for their space."
Off-hours, though, Itiola has amassed quite a fanbase for his personal taste and keen eye for interiors. "I have no idea how I got popular; I think it came about during the pandemic when a lot of people were thinking about their living spaces," he says. "I had just moved to a new apartment in Brooklyn which was a clean slate for me. I used the time being inside to get my apartment to where I wanted it to be and I was posting photos on Instagram about it."
Amongst Itiola’s pandemic design projects was a painting series that had caught the attention of Areaware, who reached out to work on a collaboration. "I was working with shapes and a checkered pattern, manipulating the shapes to be repositioned in a way that could create a newer pattern that spoke the same language. With Areaware, we landed on napkins and tea towels, which instantly worked when we applied the patterns to them," he says.
Itiola has also since launched his own Substack called Space and Function, a newsletter that serves his "desire to think about interiors and architecture, how I view it and enjoy it, and how I think it should be done, or how it should be done well." A few of his case studies include the 2002-2012 era of Balenciaga’s retail space, the building designs of Japanese architect Kazumasa Yamashita, and the interiors of the 2017 Céline pop-up in Beijing.
For his own home, however, eclecticism and practicality lead his decision-making. "I would describe my interior style as a collection of objects and pieces that I am drawn to aesthetically, but also enjoy functionally," says Itiola. Some of his favorite home goods picks include a Gohar tablecloth that looks like a pressed button-down, a Sori Yanagi-designed flatware set inspired by midcentury Japanese minimalism, and wax table candles made entirely from sumac trees. "Everything I own has some kind of story and it serves a purpose. I don't really discriminate against any design style or era as long as it fits within the visual setting that I'm putting it in. It’s all about a feeling — I might have an 18th century chair next to some Italian ‘60s sofa. As long as it feels good for me."
Alessi 9090 Espresso Maker
Alessi 9090 Espresso Maker
"If you are a coffee lover like I am, the 9090 Espresso Maker designed by Richard Sapper for Alessi should be on your stove right now. Designed as an ‘upgrade’ to the classic stovetop Mokapot, it’s the epitome of a functional design classic."
Areaware Kaleido Tea Towels & Napkins
Areaware Kaleido Tea Towels
Areaware Kaleido Napkins
"Clearly I had to throw my own work into the mix. The Kaleido series for Areaware was a project that came out of a series I have been painting for some time. The patterns were designed from three shapes that I had been obsessed with. I wanted to see how many ways each shape can be positioned are repeated to create unique patterns. The tea towels and napkins were an attempt to bring a fun, playful design to a functional object."
Sori Yanagi Flatware
Sori Yanagi Flatware
"Designed by Sori Yanagi for the Sato Shoji corporation. This simple, well-designed, yet very functional set of flatware has been my personal favorite for a while. I give myself a set on my birthday every year."
Gohar Shirt Tablecloth
Gohar Shirt Tablecloth
"I feel we are stepping back into the age of decoration as design, or at least dipping our toes in it. Laila and Nadia Gohar have truly been able to infuse their designs with tradition and humor. The Shirt Tablecloth does just that, flawlessly transposing fashion to the table. The added structured collar and placket do nothing but bring a smile to your face."
Agaric Fly Incense in Earthship
Agaric Fly Incense in Earthship
"I’m a big incense lover, and the Earthship scent from Agaric Fly Incense is the one. Blending scents of Peru balsam, tonka, and lily. An excellent addition to your home, or a perfect gift."
Sumac Candles (Warosoku) in Daiyo
Sumac Candles (Warosoku) in Daiyo
"For all you candle lovers, you should have a set of sumac candles in your drawer. These candles are called warosoku and are traditionally made in Japan with 100% natural, plant-based materials. The wax comes from the nuts of sumac lacquer trees and the wicks are made from washi paper. They burn without a drip, and the washi paper creates a tall flame that seems to dance to their own tune. I always have a box or three laying around just to enhance the mood."
Nambu Tetsu Candle Stand
Nambu Tetsu Candle Stand
"You’ll need a candle stand for your sumac candles, and I recommend the Nambu Tetsu cast iron candle stand. Designed with a spike in the middle, these candle holders are perfect for holding traditional warosoku candles."
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