In the fold with Gergei Erdei

Since launching his own interior decor brand in 2019, Hungarian-born, London-based designer Gergei Erdei has created objects that trace the history of hedonism – from the bacchanals of Ancient Greece to the glitzy bombast of 1970s Hollywood. There are plates decorated with laurel leaves and leopard print tablecloths, vase-like drinking glasses in tropical colours, and cushions decorated with mythological figures and palm trees. Erdei's influences are varied and theatrical, but they always maintain a sense of refinement and a dedication to exceptional, quality craft. 

For Erdei, who worked alongside Alessandro Michele at Gucci before launching his own line, the joy of designing is creating objects that "evoke a strong desire in people." 

"Working at a luxury house like Gucci," he says, "you get insight into the heritage of creating extremely high-quality designs. Just a simple silk scarf or a shirt is created with this supreme attention to the smallest detail. I started my brand with more commercial pieces [like plates and cushions] to provide an easy way to bring my aesthetic into your home; but what I always wanted to do, and now have the time to do, was bring this amazing craftsmanship and attention to detail that I experienced in fashion to objects. I want to create a new kind of decorative luxury with objects that are made for you or as one of a kind pieces." 

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The collection Erdei is speaking about, entitled "Objects of Desire", will debut this Spring with a capsule launch of six hand-painted folding screens. In true Erdei fashion, the screens translate a variety of inspirations into a range of elevated home objects. There's "The Hunters," which evokes Pompeii's crumbling murals with a fresco style motif and an illusion of crumbling paint; "The Peace", inspired by 1960s Italian murals; and "Barbier'' a gold screen inspired by the Art Deco illustrations of French artist George Barbier. 

Together, they create an exceptional collection of movable artworks, which will be available to order from the brand's website from 1 April and are soon to be followed by the launch of more furniture pieces later in the year.

A version of this article appears in the April 2024 issue of The Blend, distributed with The Week.