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2 Apr |
Interview with Raji Radhakrishnan Designer, Interviews
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“If you are happy where you are and hopefully with the people you want to be with and doing what you love, you are successful.”
Raji Radhakrishnan is a Washington, D.C. – based interior designer. Although Raji received an MBA and worked as a research director she decided to follow her heart and moved into the world of design. I’m always impressed by people who made the choice to follow their passions. Meanwhile Raji’s fabulous work has been published in many magazines including Traditional Home, Metropolitan Home, Washingtonian, Spaces, Home & Design and Veranda. Enjoy the interview. I sure did!
How would you describe your own style?
A thoughtful mix of styles & regions. I try not to clutter the space (and my mind) with anything less than the best so that the space will evolve to be truly the best it can be.
What inspired you to get into design?
Early travels and being exposed to beautiful spaces at a very tender age definitely ignited the passion. But, I’ve been an artist all my life. Painting a story whether through a dance ballet or an canvas or for that matter by creating whole spaces are all great mediums if you are good story teller!
Looking back at your first project what decorating knowledge do you wish you had back then designing the interiors?
Quite honestly, I’ve always been quite happy about the decorating work I’ve done from my very first project. I do project specific research before I start every project since each is completely different anyway, so I don’t think I have any real regrets there, but, it’s the business side of it that sometimes gets me! What I wish at times is that I had worked for a well established designer at least for a couple of years before I took the plunge to start out on my own. That would have given me a chance to learn all the “other non-decorating” things involved in running a decorating business without having to organically learn everything on my own!
Is there a designer that has influenced you?
Oh, plenty. Starting from Robert Adams, Sir John Soane, Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand and a few contemporaries including Jacques Grange.
Some designers believe that the first piece for any room is the rug or a painting that sets up the colors palette. What is your first source of inspiration?
Good question! I’ve never done a project inspired by a rug or fabric or painting. To me they are all one of several characters I cast in the play. It’s my overall vision, based on the architecture of the house/apt and my client, that inspires me. After observing a space and listening to clients, slowly but surely a story or at least an angle of style emerges. And I develop it from there. In my logic, having a holistic vision is first and most important and then I go about selecting the right colors, furniture, fabrics, etc, that fit with my vision and plan.
What is the biggest mistake people make when they decide to decorate their homes without the guidance of a professional designer?
Impulsively buying things without a proper holistic plan. And I don’t even mean a floor plan but buying things without even taking the time to understand how they want their rooms to look, feel and be used.
How do you achieve a good scale? Scale is a really interesting and difficult topic.
Scale is about having a sense of proportion in relation to different aspects of a room. Da Vinci’s Vitruvian man is nothing more than each part of the body being proportionate to every other part, so that the whole is pleasing to the eye and is quietly functional. You want to make everything in a space similarly appropriate. It requires thinking three dimensionally (how wide, deep and high the room is) and fearlessly addressing every vantage point. You can’t just assume massive pieces of furniture are best for a large room. Even when you are designing monumental rooms, you still have to consider the all important human scale.
Look at it this way, even in a rambunctiously grand room, you can address the large expanses of walls, windows, ceilings, floors, etc. with grand scale gestures like large paintings/patterned wallpapers, ceiling to floor curtains, huge area rugs, etc., (which essentially become part of the shell) as long as these elements don’t interfere with the humane functions. So, when you get down to addressing the eye level furniture, lighting, etc., that affect the functionality of the room on a day-to-day basis, ensure it is all scaled/adjustable to personal levels. And don’t forget to bridge the two (monumental and human) by addressing the residential scale – an example: in a 20′ tall room, think about hanging wallpaper or adding paneling that goes up to only say 10′ high or simply hanging curtains only on the windows that are 12′ or below. That’s one way of looking at scale.
What do you love to do when you are not designing?
Spend time with my family, travel, watch a great movie!
Who are your favorite artists?
Of the contemporaries, I like Vik Muniz, Anish Kapoor, Thomas Struth, Takashi Murakami and a few others.
Your favorite books?
Terence Conran’s Easy Living & The Essential House Book, Private House by Rose Tarlow, and Rooms by Marriette Himes Gomez.
What does success mean to you?
Well, doesn’t mean much really. A long time ago I realized it’s a moving target. But, I guess if you are happy where you are and hopefully with the people you want to be with and doing what you love, you are successful.
My signature Design Elements question – what are the most important design elements?
It’s a very subjective topic which prioritizes differently with people and spaces. There’s no right or wrong. But the following are usually important:
- Good (interior) architecture can not be emphasized enough.
- Appropriateness to the space and people living there is essential.
- I personally prefer a lived-in quality in any space.
- A regard for authenticity and good taste are nice to have.
- And stick to your vision!
photos: Matthew Worden via Wasingtonian, Raji Rm & Associates
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25 Mrz |
Interview with Jonathan Segal Architecture, Interviews
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I can barely contain my enthusiasm for the work of Jonathan Segal. The San Diego based architect has been responsible for the design and development of over 300 medium to high-density urban residential, mixed use, and live/work units totaling over 300,000 square feet of construction. His strong urban designs have been awarded six AIA Honor Awards. “Jonathan Segal has been a champion of an alternate practice paradigm for architects: he develops, designs, and builds his own projects.” He eliminated the client from the traditional formula. His online seminar for aspiring architects / developers is named “Architect as Developer”. It’s about how to develop your own projects and take the first steps to design and financial freedom. Jonathan Segal believes that the most important design elements are proportion, harmony, rhythm, beauty and purity. He loves to collect and restore cars.
the union, photo: paul body
When did you first realize that you wanted to be an architect?
After I failed my chemistry per exam to get into class in college….no medical school for me.
Is there something that connects all your projects?
Urban design and strong individual planning notions and ideas for each project.
the charmer, photos: matthew segal and jeffrey durkin
Looking back at your first project what design knowledge do you wish you had back then?
Nothing…ignorance has always paid off.
You have designed incredible places. If you had no limits, what would be your dream project?
Thank you. I would have loved to see my q building built in the meat packing district in New York. So I guess a small project in NYC or Brookland.
the lemperle residence
How does your home look like?
We currently have a place in downtown San Diego, la jolla and McCall Idaho. Each is different. In their planning layout and relationship to their environment. The la jolla home is almost complete. It’s all cast in place concrete as is our Downtown penthouse in the Q.
What do you love to do when you are not designing?
Collect and restore cars and be with my wife and dogs. I’m trying to learn to relax, it’s not going well.
hsieh residence
Your favorite books?
Anything that deals with entrepreneurs and works by Clive Clussler. I have a hard time finishing a book.
You have been awarded 6 AIA Awards. What does success mean to you?
The National Aia awards are an honor but respect from your peers is all that one hopes for. Fortunately this success has enabled me to meet many great friends and more importantly speak in many cities and spread the word of architect doing their own development. Financial success has helped me not need any investors since 1998.
k lofts, photo: paul body
What’s your advice to the architecture students?
Don’t grow up to be poor architects. Work for a few years and learn the business of putting a good set of drawings together and then do your own work for yourself, NO CLIENTS.
My signature question – what are the most important design elements?
Proportion, harmony, rhythm, beauty and purity.
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11 Mrz |
Interview with Chakib Richani Designer, Interviews
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Serenely minimal spaces… An appreciation for “monolithic volumes, majestic proportions, poised symmetry and rich materials detailed to refinement…” I’ve been drawn to the work of the Venezuelan-born architect and designer Chakib Richani from the first moment I saw it some years ago. Recently I had the pleasure of talking with him. Enjoy the interview. I sure did!
How would you describe your own style?
My work is closest to minimalism in that it focuses on the essence: scale and proportions, and intricate detailing; yet maintaining the luxury and comfort that my clients require. It is timelessness and drama that I seek to achieve.
When did you first realize that you wanted to be an architect?
I think that I have always been an architect. As a boy, I used to collect matches and match boxes and transform them into houses and palaces with doors and windows.
Looking back at your first project what knowledge do you wish you had back then designing the interiors?
Each project has a story and a life of its own. It is a friend whom you grow with. I love each one for what it is and would not change anything in it.
Is there a designer that has influenced you?
The architect Mies Van der Rohe, particularly the fluid flow of space in his Barcelona Pavilion. Less is more is my motto.
Some designers believe that the first piece for any room is the rug or a painting that sets up the colors palette. What is your first source of inspiration?
In residential architecture, it is the character and temperament of the users, as well as the spatial relationship to other rooms, that usually inspire me.
How do you achieve a good scale? Scale is a really interesting and difficult topic.
Scale and proportion are the heart and soul of every design. It takes a good eye and some imagination, not to mention experience.
What do you love to do when you are not designing?
Researching into design.
What are your favorite books?
All books, except e-books. Somehow you lose the magic, the sensation of paper gives life to the book that machines never can.
What does success mean to you?
The challenge to improve and the anxiety in always attempting to surpass oneself.
My signature question – what are the most important design elements?
Sensitivity, be it to the site and surroundings, nature and light, space, or to the users’ lifestyle and aspirations….
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18 Feb |
Interview with Borislav Ignatov Architecture, Designer, Interviews
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“I think that creative people have to do what they believe in, not what is expected from them. “
Equinox Passive House
I can barely contain my enthusiasm for the work of the Bulgarian architect Borislav Ignatov. Licensed architect in New York and Bulgaria, principal at Ignatov Architects, graduate of Columbia University and University of Architecture in Sofia, Architect of the year 2010 (Stroitelstvo Imoti Magazine), Grand Prize winner of the Biannale of the Union of Bulgarian Architects 2012… I love the Equinox House designed by him. Great architectural design in relationships with landscape, light, human and environmental, deeply integrated with its site. Borislav Ignatov loves traveling, the Northern Black Sea coast and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe. Enjoy the interview. I sure did!
Conservatory House
What was the moment when you knew you will be an architect?
This moment is still to come, hopefully. I am working hard on it and I keep my fingers crossed. 
Is there something that connects all your projects?
I try to approach every new task open-mindedly without any preset solution or ready answer. This gives me the chance to listen to site and program and analyze what they need and allow. I believe this is the way to make purposeful and lasting architecture. Understanding the site and program always pays back because it results in specific and unique architectural object.
Your last project – The Equinox House near the Thracian Cliffs – looks like a part of the landscape. How do you achieve this?
The prevailing harsh northern winds almost blew us to the sea on our first site visit last winter. This made me think of seeking shelter in the slope by embedding the future house there. Naturally the green roof provided for 100% site recovery and things fell in place.
How do you think the role of the architect will change over the next years?
The architect’s role has always been to analyze the conditions and lead the design process by providing a holistic harmonizing approach to all building aspects. I don’t think this will change; we just need to do it better and faster each time which is very demanding and sometimes exhausting.
What do you love to do when you are not designing?
I love traveling and practicing sports. Visiting new places makes me happy and gives me a lot of inspiration.
Taiwan Tower Competition Entry
Your favorite books?
The Hitchhiker’s guide to the Universe, and many others…
Your favorite places in Bulgaria?
Bulgaria is an incredible country with great nature and it is really hard to narrow my favorites down. First things that come to mind are the Northern Black Sea coast and Melnik.
You live and work between the Black Sea and New York. You have received the highest award for Bulgarian architecture. What does success mean to you?
The award means to me professional recognition and support for my efforts. This is very motivating for me and I am really grateful for it. I don’t qualify it as a ‘success’.
Spirit of the site, simplicity, sustainable design, green architecture, sea, light, authenticity. It was a delight to watch your interview on the Bulgarian TV SAT. What’s your advice for architecture students?
I think that creative people have to do what they believe in, not what is expected from them.
My signature question – what are the most important design elements?
Design is the art of purpose. So, art and purpose are the most important design elements to me.
photos: Ignatov Architects
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11 Feb |
Interview with Egue y Seta Designer, Interviews
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“We’ve got sick of minimalism, since it wasn´t “minimal” budgetwise and didn´t cover our minimum expressive needs… Nor could we cope with the later maximalism because we are much less complex.”
It is my pleasure to welcome Egue y Seta – one of Barcelona’s leading interior designer duos. I love the Barcelona house they recently renovated – the restored wooden beams and the tumbling block patterned tile. Egue & Seta’s signature look? Urban, practical elegance with memoir. Enjoy the interview. I sure did!
How would you describe your style?
In a sentence: Portable, urban, practical elegance with memoir. We like retro because it reminds us of times gone by and futurism for it excites us. We are proud to be Galician, Spanish and South American because that diversity allows us to provide something that goes beyond local trends … We’ve got sick of minimalism, since it wasn´t “minimal” budgetwise and didn´t cover our minimum expressive needs … Nor could we cope with the later maximalism because we are much less complex. Nevertheless we like many trends that somehow embrace the vernacular … We like fashion but each follows what suits him best, and at the end of the day, all these things we like are bound to inspire us at some point … to say exactly how much, and up to what degree would be lying.
What is your first source of inspiration?
We actually don´t have a single source of inspiration or a mathematical formula. As much as we like the current “anything goes” trend, we like to think this is only true when it subjects itself to a very concrete and specific functional and aesthetic criteria agreed over with the client.
How do you achieve a good scale? Scale is a really interesting and difficult topic.
Above it all, scale needs to be human. Comfort and practicality are one of our main concerns, though you might be surprised by how frequently current trends contravene the most basic and obvious rules of ergonomics. Bearing that in mind, but putting it aside, scale can be really fun to play with. If you grant them increased length, width and height, a bench may become a table, a table become a rooftop, and so on… We once halved a blown up football and turned into a soccer themed bathtub… Kids has a blast!
What do you enjoy most in your work?
Felipe: To shape up lifestyles and ways of doing. To influence how people use the space… how they feel, behave and interact with one another within those environments.
Daniel: To witness how abstract ideas drawn on paper become alive and real.
If you had no limits, what would be your dream project?
Felipe: Affordable, sutainable, adaptable, portable, durable and customizable interior desing furniture and schemes… Sounds like an awfull lot of work, so it might turn to be more of a nightmare than a dream…
Daniel: Maybe the headquarters of a large multinational in Tokyo, or an nice little exotic hotel on a lost paradise beach .
What do you love to do when you are not designing?
Felipe: Have a good time with friends, family or books.
Daniel: Partying with Gra (my girl) and friends; gather strength in Coruña (my home town) with family… and football wherever you go.
Your favorite books?
Felipe: Laughable Loves by Milán Kundera.
Daniel: Reading… still a pending subject for me…
Your favorite places in Barcelona?
Felipe: St. Felipe Neri Sq. – it’s right in the heart of “el Gótico”, but secluded from the tourist hordes. Gloomy, history filled and always soundtracked by street performers.
Daniel: During the summer, the beach and our office terrace for barbecues … In general at “el Raval” is the neighborhood where I feel most comfortable.
What does success mean to you?
Felipe: Enyoing work!
Daniel: Seeing pride and satisfaction written over the customers face once the project is done.
My signature question – what are the most important design elements?
Hierarchy. Too often designs are about too many things. We should learn to choose if the space is going to be all about color, about print, or scale and avoid letting everything speak as loud at the same time. No matter how many great ideas we come up with, we need to get rid of the less convenient, or the most conflicting, stick to a couple of the brightest ones and pull from that thread…
photos: Egue y Seta, Mi Casa
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4 Feb |
Interview with Angela Lanciano Designer, Interviews
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“Success is starting a new day knowing I’m going to do what makes me most happy.”
Some days ago I had the pleasure of talking with Angela Lanciano. The Tel Aviv based interior designer founded the studio Lanciano Design 24 years ago. Lanciano Design’s work is now showcased in some of Israel’s most extraordinary properties. Angela’s words are still in my mind: „The great thing about design – you can just fly…”
How would you describe your style?
Modern with touches of art objects or unique pieces of furniture with strong impact to warm up the atmosphere and to give character and a personal say.
When did you first realize that you wanted to be an interior designer?
I believe I came to this world with the passion and the desire for architecture and design, beauty grew within me, turning my dreams to reality with a lot of love and ambition.
Looking back at your first project what knowledge do you wish you had back then designing the interiors?
Unlike most young designers, I had the biggest luck. My first project was a huge house of over 1000 sqm. God was with me, that’s how I felt. I was able to translate what I had imagined in my head into reality, I’m lucky to be blessed with a lot of imagination and capable of seeing in colors how the project will look in the end and the end came out beyond my wildest expectations. The success of the project brought appreciation from my clients and their friends and new jobs just started coming in…
Some designers believe that the first piece for any room is the rug or a painting that sets up the color palette. What is your first source of inspiration?
My ispiration is a big surprise. It can come from so many unexpected directions, dreams, nature, feelings, movies. That’s the great thing about designing – you can just fly.
How do you achieve a good scale? Scale is a really interesting and difficult topic.
A good designer, one who was born to be a designer, has the scale issue in his blood stream. I can feel the right proportion in the scale, I love clean lines and I try to take advantage of the possibilities in the space, stretching the lines to the direction that makes the space look bigger, taller and more spacious.
What do you enjoy most in your work?
Wow, I love my work so much. We deal with so many different issues on top of being designers. Our work is so intimate, we are learning so much about people, and we try to get into their guts. To translate their thoughts and desires into the project. I love surprising my clients with the results that they did not anticipate to be so beautiful. I love adding art and accessories in to my projects, choosing the colors and materials, mixing and blending materials but first of all I’m excited at the first phase of dividing the space. It is like a magic work.
What is the biggest mistake people make when they decide to decorate their own home without the guidance of a designer?
Most people don’t have the ability to combine design elements together and to foresee the results. One should understand that knowing how to choose nice things is not enough. The capability of matching and understanding how to deal with proportion has to be a professional approach. Interior design requires technical skills and knowledge, also there are rules that must be obeyed (less fun), a house should be both functional and beautiful.
What do you love to do when you are not designing?
Travelling and visiting beautiful places. Even when I don’t work I love visiting interesting architectural sites, and always remembering to admire the strength and beauty of nature that inspires us.
What are your favorite artists?
There is a major artist who I find to be a genius that has never been replaced, we have come so far ahead and yet he is still unbelievable in his capability of touching any subject to depths and understanding beyond human mind. I’m talking about the one and only Leonardo da Vinci.
Your favorite books?
Dostoevsky, Ayn Rand.
Your favorite places in Israel?
I find Jerusalem one of the most fascinating cities in the world, a city of contradiction and variety of people and religions. That’s unique. And of course Tel-Aviv that is like the slogan, a city that never stops. Best restaurants, bars and exciting night life.
What does success mean to you?
Wanting to start a new day knowing I’m going to do what makes me most happy.
photos: Lanciano Design
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24 Jan |
Interview with Ben de Lisi Designer, Interviews
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“Keep it hard working without it looking overworked. Keep it sexy without it being vulgar. Keep it pure and simple without it being boring and put your entire heart into it and make it look effortless.”
Ben de Lisi is down to earth and an absolute pleasure to interview. The American fashion designer has been showing at London Fashion Week since 1994, won many British Fashion Council awards and created incredible evening dresses (Kate Winslet 2002 Oscars red dress, Helena Bonham Carter and Anjelica Huston among others). Ben de Lisi is also known for his collections with Debenhams and as a judge on Project Catwalk. Below are photos of his home. Ben loves cooking, painting, travelling and all of Truman Capote‘s books.
In a nutshell, what’s your philosophy?
Never overwork a design, keep it pure immaculate and modern. Always always think of the wearer.
What inspired you to get into fashion and design?
Not being able to afford a pair of trousers that I wanted, so my grandmother told me to just make them. The rest is history .
What was the first thing you ever designed?
That would have to be a pair of olive green corduroy drawstring trousers that I thought I desperately needed.
Looking back at your first project what knowledge do you wish you had back then?
I wish I had more patience. I am a very impatient man and I want everything done yesterday pushing yourself like that makes you sometimes loose sight of whats really important.
What is good taste to you?
Well that is a completely subjective question. For me it is really, really being true to yourself and doing whatever that might be with conviction joy and a smile .
How do you transform the ordinary into the extraordinary?
Multiples and great lighting.
What is your idea what the perfect home should feel like?
A haven that protects, nourishes, inspires and keeps you safe.
What’s the most interesting house you have ever seen?
That would be the glass house in Highgate in London… totally extraordinary .
What do you love to do when you are not designing?
Walk my dogs, paint, cook, travel, seek out 1950′s ceramics which I collect and spend time at my house in Ibiza.
A common misperception of you is…
…that I am not approachable and a snob ……….so far off the mark!!!
Your dream project?
Apart from designing for Julianne Moore it would be designing and building another house for my partner and I … but this time from the ground up.
Your favorite books?
I love all of Truman Capote ‘s books.
What does success mean to you?
It means being able to share and give without impediments.
My signature question – what are the most important design elements?
Keep it hard working without it looking overworked. Keep it sexy without it being vulgar. Keep it pure and simple without it being boring and put your entire heart into it and make it look effortless.
photos: Paul Massey, James Royall
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17 Jan |
Interview with Rafael Patalano Architecture, Designer, Interviews
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“The most important design elements are lightness and weight.”
The house on the beach with a flowering roof like a big tropical banana leaf. Open plan with light and space inspired by the Brazil’s Indian architecture. I’m sure many of you are aware of the photos below. Casa Folha or The Leaf House has been designed by Mareines + Patalano. Rafael Patalano is one of the both Brazilian architects behind the incredible home located close to Rio de Janeiro in Angra dos Reis. Rafael shares his views on Design Elements today. Enjoy!
What was the moment when you knew you would be an architect?
When small, instead of playing football as all the boys from Brazil, I was already playing house.
Is there something that connects all your projects?
We work with organic shapes, trying not to impose but listening what the land ask.
Looking back at your first project what design knowledge do you wish you had back then?
I wish I had more clear knowledge about the responsibility of the architect in relation with the environment.
What do you enjoy most in your work?
The diversity.
What do you love to do when you are not designing?
I like to travel and get to know new cultures (in a way I’m always designing).
Your favorite artists?
Richard Serra, Anish Kapoor, Jesus Rafael Soto, Abrahan Palatnick, Miró, Picasso…and many others.
Your favorite books?
All of Jorge Luíz Borges in especially Ficciones and Ética de Spinoza.
Your favorite places in Brazil?
Rio de Janeiro, Salvador na Bahia, Ouro Preto em Minas, Pantanal & Amazonia.
What does success mean to you?
Success has something to do with utopia.
What’s your advice to upcoming architects?
Be whole. Work with the wolrd that surrounds you, but always look inside. This way we will have more diversity in the architectual world.
My signature question – what are the most important design elements?
Lightness and weight.
photos: Mareines + Patalano, Leonardo Finotti
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14 Jan |
Interview Escala Arquitetura Designer, Interviews
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Recently I had the pleasure to have a cyber sit down with Carolina Escada and Patricia Landau of Rio de Janeiro based design and architecture studio Escala Arquitetura. Carolina and Patricia’s work is the perfect amount of color and modern eclectic. Their favorite book is… the Vitra catalogue. Enjoy the interview. I sure did!
How would you describe your style?
We value flexibility and integration of spaces and we end up having a more relaxed feel in our projects. We try not to have a definite style of decoration. The soul of the project comes from each client, but we really like coloring: a wall, a bookcase or cabinet. And we look especially at woodworking, seeking to design interesting details.
When did you first realize that you wanted to be an interior designer?
Both of us always were interested in it since we were teenagers. We were doing our room projects from the age of 15, and the confirmation came when we started the Architecture Course, which is where we started doing projects together.
Some designers believe that the first piece for any room is the rug or a painting that sets up the colors palette. What is your first source of inspiration?
Due to the fact that we are architects before being interior designers, the inspiration can come from many places. The view is very important for us. We usually design the room’s angle based on that. The client’s references are the most important. We usually start there. We interview our clients. We even ask what their favorite trip was. With all that information, we start with the furniture, and the rest comes later.
How do you achieve a good scale? Scale is a really interesting and difficult topic.
You have to think about every aspect of the project. Usually it is a matter of proportion. It comes from experience, from our own view of the world. If you have an apartment that has an enormous ceiling height and very tiny furniture, it will never work. Instead, if you use a few and big furniture in a small room you make the space bigger! But you can play with scale, you can do very interesting things if you don´t take it too seriously! If it works for you, then there’s you scale.
What is the biggest mistake people make when they decide to decorate their own homes without the guidance of a designer?
You have to visualize the room as a whole. Some people usually start buying thing they like without wondering if it will all work together. And in the end it becomes a carnaval. You may like each piece individually but that doesn´t mean they will make a good combination together.
If you had no limits, what would be your dream project?
To design a hotel for a client that would allow us to let our imagination fly.
What do you love to do when you are not designing?
Family time and discovering the art world. Art loving – is that a word?
Your favorite books?
The Vitra catalog, it is definitely good reading. Interior design and architecture books from Brazil and all over the world.
Your favorite places in Brazil?
Rio de Janeiro – our city that we love love love. Angra dos Reis, Buzios, Fernando de Noronha, Jericoacora…. it is a long list…
What is the perfect gift for you?
A book about contemporary art.
My signature question – what are the most important design elements?
Color, balance and scale.
photos: MCA Estúdio
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7 Jan |
Interview with Kirsten Hoppert of Vertijet Designer, Interviews
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“Classic success is not significant. In order to achieve that one must usually conform. The greatest success for us is to implement a project in collaboration with brave, inquisitive and open-minded partners, partners like us, who will not hesitate to take risks and who are able to overcome the conventional.”
It’s my pleasure to welcome Kirsten Hoppert of the husband-and-wife German design studio Vertijet. After studying together at the Halle/Saale University of Art and Design, interior designer Kirsten Hoppert and product designer Steffen Kroll decided to go into business independently and found their own studio in 2000. The name Vertijet reflects Kirsten and Steffen’s curiosity, their experimental working methods, and their passion for expressive, unconventional forms. Vertijet has been awarded significant prizes including seven Red Dot Design Awards, two IF Design Awards and the German Design Award. Two months ago Kirsten Hoppert and Steffen Kroll established their own label DIVijSOR. Enjoy the conversation. I sure did!
lava sofa – red dot design award 2007, german design award 2009
When did you first realize that you wanted to be a designer?
In the sandpit.
Looking back at your first project what knowledge do you wish you had back then?
With regard to this project, the knowledge base was sufficient. It was a good thing not to have too much insight into the structures, hierarchies and company processes yet. The viewpoint was still neutral and uninfluenced for the most part. Therefore, one was able to concentrate on the essentials.
fellow 2012
Is there something that connects all your projects?
On the one hand, our thought process and the view of things. On the other hand, not to follow all conditions in an opportunistic manner. This is how our projects appear.
You describe yourselves as “form-builders”, specialised in transforming the intangible spirit of an idea into a tangible form. Could you describe it further?
Everything generated by humans is not intended by nature in this form. Therefore, the materialized human spirit is a foreign body – this theory has currently been confirmed by the climate change, humans are one of the main causes. In this case it is the high demand, to introduce a frequently constructed and thought out idea with all its minor and artificial attributes to a material that was not intended for this purpose.
hand-tufted rug collection made of wool – red dot design award 2009, IF design award 2008
What do you enjoy most in your work?
The livelihood one experiences when one cannot be bribed, the numerous topics, the good feeling one experiences if the form is correct.
What inspires you?
It is not so much the books, exhibits or theater that inspires us. It is life as such. One has to keep their eyes open and practice the processes to which one wants to contribute something new. These types of products are sensible, because in this case the resources used are sensible as well. We call it the „practical impulse“.
bespoke 2011
What do you love to do when you are not designing?
This is very seldom, because you cannot switch off the head! But if it should be like that, then we love meeting friends and family, going to the cinema, learning musical instruments, sports, occupation with photography…
What are your favorite books?
Currently the book „Papercraft“. I love paper.
akashi bags – red dot design award best of the best 2005
Your favorite places in Germany?
The places where our families and friends live – all over Germany.
You have been awarded significant prizes including 7 Red Dot Design Awards, 2 IF Design Awards and the German Design Award. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
We did not work toward these prices. We are idealistic and dedicated to the cause. Of course we are happy, but design pricing is fickle. Our greatest success is that we remained faithful and only produced items we believe in 100%. This was also the decisive factor when we established our own label DIVijSOR, which however, is only in the beginning stages.
travelmate – red dot design award 2008 and good design award 2008, ogon candle 2012
What does success mean to you?
Classic success is not significant. In order to achieve that one must usually conform. In our opinion the greatest success for us is to implement a project in collaboration with brave, inquisitive and open-minded partners, partners like us, who will not hesitate to take risks and who are able to overcome the conventional.
My signature question – what are the most important design elements?
Fortitude, courage, humility, idealism and a substantial idea.
Willkommen
Willkommen auf Design Elements - mein Blog über Interior Design, Inneneinrichtung und Inspiration.
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