Panels

I have developed a habit when visiting old palazzi that is never forget to look up. Decorative ceilings often contain some of the most interesting ideas in the building. Coffers divide great expanses into smaller fields, creating a framework where decoration can become surprisingly exuberant. Panels grew from that fascination with the ceiling as a place for pattern.

Coffering has a curious ability to make elaborate decoration feel ordered. Squares sit within larger squares, borders establish territories and intersections become opportunities for another flourish. Painting, gilding and carving can all compete for attention. Yet the underlying geometry holds everything together. There is discipline beneath the indulgence, which is perhaps why these ceilings remain so compelling.

I also like the change in viewpoint. A pattern inspired by something traditionally encountered overhead can move onto walls and floors. The hierarchy disappears, but the original idea of dividing a surface into decorative compartments remains.

Panels is really about giving pattern boundaries and then seeing what happens inside them. Each compartment becomes a small decorative event, connected to its neighbours by the larger framework. It reflects something those old palazzi understood very well: abundance and order are not opposites. Given the right structure, they can make excellent companions.

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