Christian Dunbar
joined 24e in 2009 following a nearly two decade modeling career. During that
time, he traveled and lived on six continents, taking in cultural styles from
all around the world. His earliest inspiration came from the natural materials
and minimalist design he saw in Japan.
Following an extended period living in continental Europe and Asia, he
landed in New York City. It was there,
at the age of 30, he decided to study interior design.
Four years later,
after laboring countless nights and weekends in front of his drafting table, he
graduated from New York School of Interior Design, and began work as a
freelance designer based in Brooklyn's trendy Williamsburg neighborhood. It was there that he got a taste for the
city's distinctive metropolitan style.
One of his first projects was the conversion of a 3500-sf raw factory
space into a four-bedroom loft. The highlight of the project was working
firsthand with steel, glass, concrete, and wood to create a space that was as
much gallery as it was residential.
Eventually, Dunbar
made his way to the south to begin graduate degree work at the Savannah College
of Art & Design. One day, while walking his doberman Cassius, he happened
to stop into a furniture store at 24 East Broughton Street. A place called 24e.
“When I first entered
24e, it felt like a little slice of New York that had been transplanted to the
South,” recalling the unique “Lowcountry Modern” style that 24e owner Ruel
Joyner had carefully cultivated. “When I
saw the diversity of materials, and styles I knew I was in the right place.”
Throughout his life,
Christian has lived in a wide array of cultures, and in a multitude of
different residential situations. From
New York lofts, to tiny Japanese apartments, to lavish Italian homes, he has
experienced diversity like no other.
During that time, he developed a traveler's sensibility, finding
inspiration from the best elements of each stop. He values well-planned spaces without
clutter, and clean-lined furniture. He
is obsessed with materiality. “I am
fixated with the idea of using natural materials in ways that show off their
inherent opulence,” he says. Christian is as much a furniture designer as he is
an interior designer. During his time in
Savannah, he has designed and built several custom pieces, working with both
commercial and residential clients. His most recent works have consisted of
steel, various hardwoods, and polished concrete.
“In my furniture and
sculpture, I like to meld a sense of permanence with a sense of contemporary
luxury,” he says. “I like creating spaces using
natural elements in a way that brings the outdoors in, but in a modern,
beautiful, smart way.”
