Dwell 2015 09

dwellings
In the eat-in portion of the
kitchen, a George Nelson
Bubble Lamp hangs above
an Artek table and chairs
by Alvar Aalto. The floor tiles
are close matches to the
originals, which had to be
replaced after a pipe burst.
the move to the countryside she has been more
concerned with developing her asparagus patch than
hunting out first editions. One wall in the kitchen is
taken up with her vast cookbook collection, which sits
upon thoroughly modern Michael Marriott shelving.
A reason that the home may have stayed on the
market so long is its layout. The bedrooms are small
and functional, especially what would have been the
two guest rooms. The well-off of rural England generally
want sprawling rooms that match the expanses
of the landscape beyond the windows. Instead, this
home looks like modern city living, with a vast
loft-style living area that serves as a showcase for
Coakley’s abilities as tastemaker.
The walls are covered with pieces by artists SCP has
worked with including playful screen prints by
Brooklynite Mark McGinnis, but there are also pieces
by the couple’s 27-year-old son, Oscar, as well as an old
Bazooka Joe box—a reminder of the fact that Coakley’s
father once looked after the brand’s UK franchise. A
battered leather sofa from the previous owner takes up
one side of the room, but the rest is largely filled with
prototypes, unsold orphans, and favorites from SCP’s
store in Shoreditch, East London, including plenty of
Matthew Hilton’s Balzac seating.
Shoreditch was once the center of London’s furniture
manufacturing business and boasts the Geffrye
Museum to celebrate this fact, complete with SCP
furniture on display inside. Today, one is more likely
to find craft bakeries and bearded baristas in the area.
It’s a far cry from 1985, when Coakley moved his small
vintage furniture and upholstery business into the
area from the then-more fashionable Portobello Road.
“I would get a lot of classic tubular steel furniture
re-chromed because, you know, you wouldn’t
want a rusty chair,” Coakley recalls. “Nowadays, of
course you would. The only chrome plater I could
find was in Shoreditch.”
In 1985, an early Philippe Starck show in the SCP
store established Coakley’s business as a go-to for fans
of modern design. The business’s aspirations grew
with the area around it, as the authorities gave way
to pioneers such as Coakley and opened up zoning to
retail and restaurants. Before long, SCP was a globally
renowned brand with its own UK upholstery factory,
turning out Balzac sofas and Donna Wilson chairs.
It is now introducing contemporary America design
to Europe, including the work of Brooklyn-based
furniture and product designers Fort Standard.
“American design is really interesting, and I think
122 SEPTEMBER 2015 DWELL