Why John Lewis London homes are the death of design
I’m worried about what new John Lewis-built homes, soon to be built in Ealing, West London, mean for humanity. Hundreds of flats designed by and decked out like a John Lewis showroom is surely the logical extension of where globalised design is going.
The world’s interior decor aesthetic is becoming more and more homogenous, repeated across cafes, restaurants and showhomes from Sydenham to Sydney. This is partly because of the internet, which enables trends to spread across the world in no time at all.
You could point to the ubiquitous IKEA as a worse offender but at least we design our own IKEA homes rather than letting the IKEA overlords in to design them for us. And IKEA has a bit of spunk. It is funky, disruptive, fresh-thinking in its designs.
John Lewis on the other hand is reliable, traditional and high quality – but it’s hardly known for fashions and furnishings with a particular sense of individuality. John Lewis homes are surely going to borrow from the playbook of the store. At least the stores aim to intrigue new customers to come in, buy and browse, whereas the homes must appeal to the archetypal everyman.
There will be over 400 new homes that will bolster London’s economy by providing decent housing stock for rent, say the firm, despite 96 per cent of local residents voting against the newbuilds because they are “outrageously oversized” and “will destroy West Ealing.”
John Lewis . The founder of the store was called John Spedan Lewis and his father was John Lewis, whom the original Oxford Street store was named after when it opened in 1864.
But in our mind’s eye, John Lewis is that uncle who comes round on Christmas Day, who seems like he’s from another generation but somehow is from today (ironically, he probably disagrees with the new housing popping up in his town).
But in these new build-to-rent homes, he’s there 365 days a year. He’s taken off his woolen slippers and moved in for good and this makes me very depressed indeed.
The John Lewis Partnership told City PM they’re “yet to begin interior design plans” but liked how I see the brand as an uncle figure. “We’re flattered you view us with the avuncular familiarity of an uncle,” a spokesperson said, “but if you visited that uncle’s pad you’d find it more stylish and on trend than you’d expect.”