The Exquisite Mind of John Saladino

Photos Above: Saladino sofa, top. CB2 contemporary sofa set, above.

The 80’s were renowned for the concept of High-tech, and the uber-God of this genre, John Saladino, has been proven prophetic once again. A glance through contemporary furnishings will give you an idea of the importance of the work of Saladino since the 70’s. His stripped down, eclectic style is the current rage, and much of his original furnishings influence what we sit on and place drinks or plasma screens on today. The book High-Tech, the bible of the movement, was vastly influential at the time, and spreads of Saladino’s work graced Architectural Digest and other trade publications. His use of raw plywood as flooring, exposed ductwork and steel fixtures presaged an entire era, and is still referred to today. 

Granted, a cursory glance through his website, http://www.saladinostyle.com shows his atelier producing more classic, Palladian style interiors, elements are still evident, particularly in the pared-down colour palette and spare furnishings devoid of excess decoration and detail. A trained architect, Saladino understands form and function and integration of aesthetic and shelter. The amount of merit his work has received has been largely under-appreciated and a revival of interest in his early and middle period work should be the next big thing to influence our culture. Oh, wait: it already is: let’s just disseminate to the masses.