OK here's the background, the year was 1978 I was a couple years out of high school and I was asked to design the "room of the month" in the lobby of the then new Pacific design center in Los Angeles. This task was usually asked of seasoned professionals, I guess they wanted to see what the new kid would do?
The space was a boring 10' X 15' "box" with a glass front, so I decided to paint the entire room black. To my surprise it expanded the room visually then I laid 10" pine planks and stenciled white stripes on a diagonal. I designed the 12' banquette in white canvas and found this great frame chair covered in hand stenciled black chintz. At that time it was like experimenting with the most unusual objects together in one room, I loved it! When Designers West magazine published the photos they called it a rather "bold & brave" design. I guess not much has changed in thirty years.