We’ve long been fascinated by modernist design. Open-plan living rooms, sunken conversation pits, oak panelling, softly lit bedrooms, patterned tile kitchens. Homes from the golden era of modernism seemed to truly reflect their owners’ personalities and interests in a way we seldom see anymore.
We believe homes are a lot like clothes. Only, instead of graphic tees, you’ve got patterned curtains. Instead of down jackets, thick woven rugs. Instead of shoes, ceramic crockery lined up on open shelving. It’s the same principles of layering, texture, and taste – all acting as a way to tell the world who you are and what you’re about – without actually saying anything.
Our philosophy on homes being a liveable version of clothes has led us to have our eye firmly planted on a Modernist Home based in the West Midlands – complete with conversation pit and all. So when KEEN asked us to shoot some new Spring Summer content for them, we didn’t hesitate to pitch our secret weapon
As it turns out, KEEN was just as into the modernist home as we were. So before we knew it, we were heading southward, bound for the heart of the Black Country.
When we pulled up, the photos we’d been drooling over for months didn’t even do an ounce of justice. The texture of the walls. The smell in the air. Carpets worn just enough to reveal flecks of multicoloured thread beneath decades of footfall. It was visceral. This wasn’t some pristine showroom with plastic left on the sofas eight months of the year. It was a home that had been properly lived in – and that’s exactly what we wanted.
Wandering the corridors and stepping into those beautifully lit open-plan living spaces, you could almost sense what had gone on in another life. Late-night conversations murmured against the glow of dying embers in the conversation pit. Questionable cocktails mixed poolside. Cigarette smoke curling lazily towards the ceiling while someone leafed through a broadsheet.
We couldn’t have chosen better if we tried. The house became our stage, the perfect backdrop for everything from the Jasper Zionic to Uneek.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, KEEN proved to be the perfect guest in our new home. The aforementioned carpet threads paired perfectly with the flecked laces of the Jasper. The rich emerald hues on the Jasper Zionic basically mirrored the cushions on the couch, and the Uneek sandals became mandatory when we headed over to the indoor pool. Even without water in it.
KEEN is a fun brand. They’re not afraid of colour, quirky design, or pushing things a little further than expected – their recent use of neon shades and hairy suede makes that obvious. That willingness to go against the grain is what makes them one of our favourite footwear brands, and what made them such a natural fit for our modernist backdrop.
Expression ran through every corner of that home – from the gold-accented bathroom tiles to the precise shade of green on the bedding – and that same spirit sits at the heart of KEEN. When you put on a pair, people notice. They don’t quite look like anything else on the market. You wear KEEN to stand out, just as the modernist house we shot in was designed to stand apart from every other residence on its street.
So while we can’t say with total confidence that indoor pools, conversation pits, and oak-everything are about to storm back into fashion, we can say this: shooting a brand like KEEN in a home like that felt genuinely inspiring.
Everything from interior design to automobiles nowadays seems to default to black. So we found it incredibly refreshing to be surrounded by texture and tone at every turn. Whether that be looking up at the ceiling, across at the wallpaper, or down at our shoes,
Houses like the one we shot in simply aren’t built anymore, but personality never really dates. Whether it’s a home with a conversation pit or a pair of shoes in unapologetic emerald suede, the joy is in choosing something that says a bit more about who you are.
Find out more about KEEN’s SS26 Collection at KEEN.
