A Source of Daily Inspiration

Current design trends clearly show a preference for natural materials. Wood and stone remain the popular textures: onyx, marble, granite. These materials can be used not only for walls and floors but as accents in furniture. Beyond warmth and a particular tactile quality, they let people in large cities be at least a little closer to nature.

For colour, owners of houses and flats generally prefer a neutral palette of natural shades. Above all the base colours: the achromatics — black, white and greys — together with muted tones that can extend and vary that base. Homes with access to a garden or a patio are in enormous demand, especially in the city. Such points of contact with nature are increasingly becoming an inseparable part of modern life.

The most current style of 2021 is minimalism. This is another global direction, reinforced by isolation, when many people tried to get rid of old, non-functional things — in the wardrobe as much as in the interior. Even so, this is not the total minimalism of magazine photographs, which tends to be experimental, but minimal decoration. Air, light and free space are the principal requests made of a home.

Whatever the size of the house, comfort and function come first. The role of smart-home systems and of the various applications that control domestic processes keeps growing. These assistants are becoming more varied, more reliable, easier to use and better adapted to individual needs. Intelligent technology is gradually becoming part of our lives — optimising indoor air quality, for instance, or regulating temperature without wasting energy. The tendency shows up in interior design too, where light fittings can double as speakers and bedside tables come with wireless chargers for phones.

I aim not merely to produce a contemporary, stylish design but to breathe life into it, to reflect individuality, to add functional details that hold the eye. Just like the way we dress, the way we live and the interior we live in are a means of self-expression. Every decorative element therefore becomes a kind of statement.

In our market it can be hard to find well-made pieces that suit an interior perfectly and bring out the character of the owner. Responding to that need, my partner and I set up our own workshop making certain items of furniture and wall decor in current materials — metal, glass and various woods. Usually these are unusual console and coffee tables, small shelving units, minimalist wall panels, non-standard shelves. Such a piece can be commissioned on its own, chosen to suit an existing interior, or as part of a design project. If, while developing an interior, I see that our workshop is the right answer, I suggest it to the client. After our discussion I move to the creative part and sketch with the client’s wishes in mind; then we discuss the choice of materials with our technologist and put the piece into production. The client ends up with an interesting object that quietly underlines the character of the interior — or becomes the thing that makes it.