Five Questions with Roan Barrion - Modern Love

Roan Barrion is a 20th Century design specialist turned 21st Century designer/artist. His former venture Modern Love, a design gallery that championed vintage French and Italian modernism, set the stage for his own design practice, with works exhibiting in Paris and then named by Architectural Digest as one of their favourite designers. With an Instagram following reading like a who’s who of the design world, his work resonates with enthusiasts of both contemporary and classic modernism alike.

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Abi: Who are your favourite contemporary designers?

Roan:

1. Mathias Bengtsson

2. Brent Buck

3. Christopher Allen

4. Dorothée Loriquet

5. Francesco Balzano

Abi:

Name five past designer/architects that created their own legend.

Roan:

1. Jean Royere

2. Jean Prouve

3. Charlotte Perriand

4. Gino Sarfatti

5. Gae Aulenti

Abi: Name five things from your past life (Modern Love days) that you found that you should have never sold.

Roan: ‍

1. The Sarfatti Vine lamp only because the value skyrocketed (last one sold at Phillips for over $45K USD)

2. My pair of well worn PK22s

3. The Sarfatti lamp with the beanbag base

4. I should have kept at least one Perriand stool. At one point I had 5 in my house and for some reason I never thought of keeping one

5. The rosewood Jacobsen Ant chair. Never had seen such robust rosewood grain

Abi: Five chairs that you’ll love until the day you die.

Roan: ‍

1. Kjaerholm’s PK24

2. Fabricius and Kastholm’s Grasshopper

3. Gio Ponti’s Superleggera (2-tone Black and White is ideal)

4. Perriand’s Ombra Chair

5. Joe Colombo’s Universale

‍Abi: And now five lamps.

Roan:

1. Jean-Pierre Vitrac’s Flower Lamp

2. Mangiarotti’s Lesbo Lamp

3. Sarfatti’s Moon Lamp

4. Serge Mouille Saturne (any variation)

5. Gio Ponti’s wall lights (with the brass panels for Arredoluce)

Abi: Bonus Local Winnipeg Question: Five buildings people should drive by and appreciate.

Roan: I’m combining the last two bonus questions

1. MTC in the Exchange is my favourite building

2. The mid century bungalows on Thatcher Drive, some real gems there

3. Fainman house on Victoria Crescent is my favourite home

4. Manitoba Teachers Society on Portage

5. The Winnipeg Transit Office on Osborne (you have to drive into the lot a bit to see it)

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