Acclaimed for his historically steeped, English-style interiors, architect and interior designer David Easton has his eye on the future. “ ‘Home sweet home’ no longer has the same meaning it had in the 18th and 19th centuries. Changes in technology, population, demographics and the economy have altered the way we live in our homes,” he says. “The future of design will become more and more about incorporating these changes.”

Easton has come full circle since his early days as an architect. Classically trained with a degree from New York’s Pratt Institute, he became a protégé of Bauhaus notable Sibyl Moholy-Nagy. Under her tutelage, he learned firsthand the modernist principles of “form follows function” and “less is more.” However, as his career progressed, Easton departed from these teachings and began creating interiors that were strongly rooted in 18th-century English style.

Now, Easton has returned to his Bauhaus roots — taking an adapted approach that combines his eclectic background and experience. “I am now interested in designing the future for everyone,” he says. “Consider it classicism, upgraded for the 21st century.” He avoids strict definitions that divide design styles into modernist vs. classicist camps, and his work displays a combination of contemporary sensibility with a bent for classicism.
Incorporating multiple influences in his designs, Easton calls himself “promiscuous” when it comes to styles. “I love everything and love to experiment with everything,” he says. In this vein, he has created the “At Home” collection for Henredon, an array of furniture with clean, strong lines and classic proportions. Available at Robb & Stucky Interiors’ showrooms throughout Florida and nationwide, Easton’s Henredon pieces echo the past with their exotic accent woods and ornamentation, while beckoning the future with their simplicity and adaptability.

His lighting line for Robert Abbey, Inc. also fuses both classic and modern design. His traditional styles exude timeless beauty with rich finishes, such as bronze and antique nickel, and his contemporary, clean-lined designs convey clarity and functional flexibility.

Drawing inspiration from the styles, periods and trends of Italy, Sweden, England, France and Asia, Easton created fabrics for Lee Jofa that reflect these cultures. And his “Solarium Collection” of indoor-outdoor fabrics mixes the best of all worlds — sophisticated patterns with the versatility of weather-resistant material.
On one issue, however, Easton remains singularly steadfast: Style must serve all our needs and make sense. “In the future, we’ll all be living more like the Jetsons — using technology and practical design in our daily lives. Everything about our homes, interiors and landscapes will evolve in a way we can’t even imagine today.” And for this ever-evolving designer, hitting this mark will be all in a day’s work.

For more information on David Easton’s furniture, visit www.robbstucky.com or www.henredon.com. To learn more about his lighting designs for Robert Abbey, Inc. visit www.robertabbey.com. Also, visit www.leejofa.com to take a closer look at his fabric collection.