Christine Lin Shares Her Favorite Music, City, Artist + More

Christine Lin is the principal and founding father of Form + Field, an interior design firm promoting joy and well-being through empathetic and creatively integrated interiors. A multi-disciplinary creative with degrees in architecture, engineering, and business from MIT and UC Berkeley, Christine cultivates every project as a partnership. “That is so cliché, but I first got into architecture after I discovered Frank Lloyd Wright in highschool. I immediately made my parents drive me 4 hours to go visit his iconic Fallingwater House in western Pennsylvania. It introduced me to the concept of “Gesamtkunstwerk” – “total murals” – which has stayed with me ever since.”

Christine Lin

“It never occurred to me that interior design could possibly be a profession until I began working on my husband’s (then boyfriend’s) surf house in Santa Cruz,” Christine shared. “It was inbuilt the Seventies and needed a full remodel and furnishings. I volunteered to design and manage your entire project because I believed it’d be a fun side project and, truthfully, nothing more. On the time, I used to be a product manager at a tech startup, and the project not only took up all of my free time but in addition began intruding into my workday because that’s how much I loved doing interior design!” She said that “It didn’t feel like a job – I used to be enthusiastic about every aspect of the method, even the project management. That’s the purpose after I told myself to determine a option to make this a full-time profession. Then, in August 2016, I quit tech and never looked back!”

Form + Field’s design philosophy is centered around integration and longevity, intentionally crafting contextual environments and choosing materials that may stand the test of time. With an emphasis on art, architecture, and eclectic modernism, the firm has earned national publication and industry accolades.

Christine Lin joins us today for Friday Five!

styled bath space

Photo courtesy Benesse Art Site

1. Naoshima, Japan

Back in 2014, I made a solo pilgrimage to Naoshima, an island west of Osaka, known for its art. It has amazing museums designed by Tadao Ando, and there’s various art installations and art houses scattered across the island. It’s a delight to explore, especially on a motorcycle. A favourite experience was the Naoshima Bath designed by artist Shinro Ohtake where you may actually go take a shower. I’ve traveled to almost 40 countries, and this still ranks as certainly one of my most memorable experiences.

painted bouquet of flowers

Photo courtesy Recent Order

2. Recent Wave Music

You realize how while you’re younger, you wonder why your parents or other mature adults just take heed to the usual music, and the way you tell yourself that may never be you? Well, I became certainly one of those said adults before I even turned 35. My favorite music to today is Recent Wave: Recent Order, Blondie, Depeche Mode, Erasure, The Cure, Orchestral Manoeuvres within the Dark, Pet Shop Boys, etc. I’m technically a millennial, but my older Gen X brother gave me exposure to excellent music at a young age.

brown-skinned woman walks down a catwalk runway

Photo courtesy Tibi

I don’t should spend quite a lot of time interested by clothes or how I dress due to Tibi. A number of years ago, Amy Smilovic, founder and inventive director of the brand, coined the term “Creative Pragmatist” to explain “a person who values creativity and pragmatism in every day life, and applies each to their style decisions.” She was capable of articulate to the layperson what personal style means, how certain color, material, texture, etc. can affect the general look, and the way dressing must be centered around how someone desires to feel. It was an intelligent approach to clothing that resonated with me immediately, and I spotted that what she articulated is comparable to how I approach designing interiors.

two women sitting across a table from one another while an audience watches

Photo courtesy MoMA

4. Marina Abramović

I used to be fortunate to listen to Marina Abramoviić (the conceptual and performance artist) speak on the Nourse Theater in San Francisco back in 2016. She has an incredible presence, charisma, and humorousness. What I really like a lot about her work is that it’s difficult. It makes you query what you’re thinking that you understand about humanity and the human condition, and it stays with you long after you’ve first contemplated the piece.

two wood dining chairs with arms

Photo: Morentz courtesy 1stDibs

5. Dialogo Chairs by Tobia + Afra Scarpa

My family sits in these leather and wood dining chairs every day, and I’ll be hauling them to each home that I move to for the foreseeable future. They’re that good: comfortable for all heights (I’m 5’ tall), easy to scrub, and they give the impression of being amazing. Produced within the Seventies by B&B Italia, they were designed by the multi-talented husband-and-wife team, Tobia and Afra Scarpa.

 

 

Work by Christine Lin:

styled living space with baby grand piano

Atherton Estate A multi-generational family needed a refresh for his or her holiday home in Atherton, California. Last updated almost 30 years ago, the historic Tudor was renovated and furnished throughout to create a welcoming home for the owner’s adult children and young grandchildren. Respecting the architecture and the various style preferences of the clan, Form + Field blended traditional and modern styles seamlessly throughout the house. Spaces were reconfigured to reflect the needs of the younger generations – turning the house theater right into a guest room, the formal front room into the media room, and the sunroom into the playroom. Photo: R. Brad Knipstein

kitchen with dark cabinetry and vertical blue glass backsplash

Nopa Jewel Box With an affinity for entertaining, the client desired to create a welcoming atmosphere for guests. Although a wall dividing the entryway and kitchen posed initial spatial constraints, Form + Field opened the realm to create a seamless flow; maximizing the space and functionality of this jewel box kitchen. To marry the couple’s favorite colours (blue and green), Form + Field designed custom wood cabinetry finished in a deep muted pine green with blue undertones to border the kitchen; beautifully complementing the custom walnut wood furniture found throughout the intimate space. Photo: Christine Lin

styled bedroom

Oakland Contemporary Form + Field’s client, the cofounder of San-Francisco-based fashion brand Cuyana, purchased this Oakland property with sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay. Originally a builder flip, the team reworked spaces throughout to higher accommodate the needs of the family and infuse personal character. Selective color, varied textures, and warm materials create a house that reflects the personality of the family and what makes them feel most comfy. Photo: Suzanna Scott

light-filled styled living space

Los Altos Hills Tudor A pair based in Asia tasked Form + Field with creating a snug family home to host three generations and guests. Stylistically, the team merged differing preferences for contemporary versus traditional furnishings, and struck a subtle balance between the 2. Color was injected playfully throughout the house while family heirlooms were juxtaposed with contemporary designs. Photo: R. Brad Knipstein

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