Stepping into adulthood can feel like a whirlwind of stress and looming debt, especially when thinking of your future home. But why does “growing up” have to look and feel so played out? Toronto-born multidisciplinary artist Sean Brown launched his lifestyle brand Curves in 2018 to disrupt conventional home decor with his vibrant and tasteful designs.
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, Sean was just moving into his new apartment and was struggling to find a carpet he liked. He refers to himself as picky and is selective with everything from his TV stand to the glove he uses to wash dishes. For Sean, it’s all about the design elements that are best reflective of his personal taste without conforming to any cookie-cutter aesthetic. The “grow” but not the “up” mentality drives the inspiration of his designs – allowing yourself to be immersed in a world of colour and creativity.
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Music to Our Ears
From the designs, you can tell that Sean has an affinity for pop culture and music. “It’s not about an era or style,” he says, “it’s more about how things were made and why.” Before the age of social media, artists took inspiration from their surroundings. “Design, aesthetic, and creativity were born out of community, roots, and necessity,” Sean mentions. Especially in Canada, where Canadian aesthetics can be incredibly fluid and diverse. “So we design based on what we like, what speaks to us and what we relate to most.” The process of creating music directs Sean to forge a similar path, drawing inspiration from cross-cultural traditions. At Curves, you can find a variety of music-inspired decor pieces, like his signature handmade CD rugs featuring albums from Lil’ Kim, Jay-Z, Daft Punk and more.
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Add Some Curves-appeal to Your Home
“My goal is to allow the kid in all of us to live on,” Sean says. It’s a rare enough thing to find a home that is truly expressive and youthful. It’s a gross misconception that the more you age, the less enthusiastic or vibrant your personal taste can be. “We want adult homes to be extensions of childhood bedrooms,” he notes. Imagine what a bedroom would look like if it were inspired by The Big Comfy Couch or Zaboomafoo with a modern take. Sean wants cartoons, shows, superheroes and anything that energized us as kids to live on as a part of who we are now. One example of a childhood-inspired accessory is a neon hand-crafted ceramic piggy bank in the shape of a money bag, pictured below. “The notion that we’ve all accepted there is a certain aesthetic for an adult home is weird, and we disagree.”
Sean hopes that introducing Curves to the world will energize and inspire people in all aspects of their creative life.
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Photos courtesy of Sean Brown and his team at Curves
