Portrait of John Pawson with his COCOON collection, stone sink

John Pawson is a renowned British architectural designer known for his minimalist designs. Pawson—often hailed as the father of modern architectural minimalism—founded his firm in 1981. For nearly forty years, Pawson has built a successful career dedicated to less.

Pawson’s projects range from the Cistercian monastery, the New York flagship store for Calvin Klein and Jil Sander, sets for the Royal Opera House, and hotels for Ian Schrager.

Read on to learn more about John Pawson’s work and how to bring a touch of his talent into your modern minimalist designs.

But first, let’s review the meaning of minimalist interior design.

What is Minimalist Interior Design?

The fundamentals of minimalist interior design involve creating a simple space with clean lines, functional furniture, and a monochromatic color palette. When constructing these concepts, designers will focus on shape, texture, and color. Further, designers will often opt for a space with lots of light and an open floor plan.

Minimalism avoids elements such as clutter, highly patterned furnishings, and detailed accessories.

Why John Pawson Was Drawn to Minimalism

John Pawson was drawn to the sense of freedom and calm that minimalism evokes. The successful designer claims minimalist spaces help to calm his “untidy mind.” 

In an interview with A Collected Man, Pawson notes, “For me, the words that come to mind are… Clarity; the focus on what’s essential; a drive to make space. And what we design hopefully makes people feel good. It’s that physical feeling of having a space to move, to breathe; not being surrounded by stuff gives you a certain freedom.”

John Pawson’s Work

Pawson focuses on incorporating space, proportion, light, and materials. His body of work includes a broad range of scales and typologies. Pawson’s design portfolio includes sacred commissions, galleries, museums, and ballet sets. His most notable work, perhaps, includes the new Cistercian monastery in Bohemia and the Sackler Crossing across the lake at the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Throughout his career, Pawson has received many awards for his innovative work, such as RIBA awards for the Sackler Crossing at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the Frate Sole International Prize for Sacred Architecture for the new Cistercian monastery of Lady of Novy Dvur in Bohemia.

John Pawson by COCOON Collection

John Pawson’s collection by COCOON introduces elevated products to match his next-level designs. This award-winning collection brings timeless design to bathroom faucets, washbasins, and free-standing tubs that combine elegance and minimalism. 

John Pawson designed a complete range of bathroom and kitchen tap ware.

Consider Specialty Hardware + Plumbing for COCOON Boutique Bathrooms

Our professional Sales Representatives have worked closely with COCOON since inception and have an expansive knowledge of their entire collection, including:

  • Material
  • Colors
  • Stone
  • Fabrication
  • Installation
  • Shipping
  • Trade pricing, and
  • U.S. plumbing standards

As a premier dealer and distributor for COCOON in the United States, Specialty Hardware + Plumbing has worked on hundreds of design projects to specify John Pawson by COCOON. 

Come Visit Our Showroom in Beverly Hills

With a long-standing showroom in Beverly Hills, we showcase a brand portfolio of luxury items that range from bathroom faucets, sinks, tubs, and showers to a selection of door hardware and handles from across the globe. We partner with the finest manufacturers to ensure that the highest quality of design embodies a timeless, clean aesthetic.

We are here to help make your minimalist bathroom design dreams a reality. Read on to learn more about us.

Love John Pawson’s collection by COCOON? See Piet Boon’s collection by COCOON.