To mark the second chapter of the “Re-enchanting Villa Medici” project, the historic rooms of the French Academy in Rome have been re-imagined and rearranged by the French-Iranian designer India Mahdavi.
Frequented by popes, princes, poets and artists, Villa Medici dominates the capital from the Pincio Hill with the austere elegance of its fortress-like façade.
Embracing the requirements of modernity, the rebirth of Villa Medici highlights all of its surrounding beauty and history, in the name of continuity with a glorious past.
India Mahdavi plays with geometric forms and bright colours, which give a sense of intimate warmth to the rooms while mingling in a triumph of styles and surprising colour combinations.
Dedar fabrics contribute to renewing the spirit of the rooms, where elements with a contemporary flair dialogue with the villa’s heritage.
Discovered in the archives of Mobilier national, the sofas designed by Jean-Albert Lesage in the Lili Boulanger salon are adorned by Tabularasa cotton satin in the shade of Giallo bombo.
Dedar has also contributed to the development of the print defined by an octagonal decorative motif, used on the four-poster bed in the Galileo Room.
About Dedar
Founded in 1976, Dedar is a family-run fabric house located close to Como, in the heart of a manufacturing district. Dedar experiments and innovates to attain product perfection through an ongoing dialogue with those craftsmen and textile specialists who are most familiar with the techniques employed in the production of excellent fabrics. Characterized by seductive colour palettes and unexpected patterns, Dedar’s fabrics combine precious yarns with research into fiber technology to offer various solutions for curtains, upholstery and wallcovering of timeless elegance.
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Claire Totman, Director at Claire Totman Designs Ltd has given her insights into the industry.
Interior design and architecture have been my passion for as long as I can remember. My mum said I was born drawing! From a young age design was a huge passion of mine, my only passion. I was always very creative rather than academic and my mum and I would spend our weekends visiting local show homes, furniture shops and trade shows. I collected hundreds of interiors magazines and I had a beautiful wooden dolls house that I spent hours re-arranging and re-decorating the little rooms. All my pocket money was spent on my dolls house. It was my pride and joy. When I finished school, I knew I wanted to study Interior Architecture at university, which I did at Oxford Brookes. My professional career started in 2009 and I worked my way up the ladder working for various design firms in London before starting up my own practice in 2016.
The aspect I enjoy the most of my profession is seeing our projects complete and how happy our clients are. Each project is years in the making, at least two by time we get to project handover. There is a huge amount of work that goes into every single project. The architectural side, the interior design side and the project coordination side. The late nights, the endless emails, it’s all worth it when you see the finished article. Knowing we have created a beautiful home for our clients to enjoy and create memories in is a wonderful feeling. It’s an honour to work with our clients on such an intimate part of their life, their home.
The most memorable career highlight from the past year has been appearing in four very well known interiors magazines and being nominated for three international design and architecture awards.
My favourite type of project to work on are period properties. You just cannot beat those high ceilings and original features. I live in an Edwardian property myself and I just love the character and scale period properties offer. So many have had their original features removed over the years so it’s very exciting to bring a property back to its former glory, yet fit for 21st century living.
I would say the most challenging aspects of working in this industry is dealing with difficult trades and delays from suppliers as this can have such a knock on effect on the whole project programme.
I wouldn’t say there’s anything I wish I knew before working in this field as this has always been my goal and there is no other industry I’ve wanted to be in since a child but if I had to say something I’d say the sheer amount of admin. A lot of people think interior design is a very glamorous job, but 80% of it is sitting at your computer designing and managing the sheer amount of admin per project.
My number one tip to an aspiring designer is go for it. Work hard, work late, work for free if you have to, to get a foot in the door and start building your portfolio. It’s a very competitive industry and you need to stand out from your competition. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Hard work will always pay off if your mind is set on achieving your goal.
I have seen a huge shift in online design. This is E-design and remote services. I would say most established design practices now offer this as an option. It means you can work with clients that a more further a-field and allows clients to work with a designer that they couldn’t necessarily afford if an e-design wasn’t an option.
Being an SBID accredited Interior Designer is a huge honour. It gives our clients, both existing and future, the reassurance that they are working with an accredited designer that is part of the UK’s leading industry bodies. It also means we are always up to date with current industry standards and innovations as well as the huge amount of training that we undertake to keep our membership.
About Claire Totman Designs Ltd
Established in 2016, Claire Totman Designs is an award winning Architecture and Interior Design studio specialising in high-end design for private residential clients ranging from design focussed extensions, major renovations and new build homes. Claire Totman Designs offers a range of different services from architectural design and planning permissions to interior fit out and project coordination.
Albion Gate is an interior-architectural project that Supremati designed for a developer in central London, Hyde Park.
The property is set in a lavish, historical art-deco building and consists of two-bedrooms, both with their own en-suites. Most of the furniture and artwork was already the client’s, so Supremati was responsible for designing the joinery, such as the doors, and all of the finishes. The studio was also responsible for the design management of the property and the entire space has been co-ordinated under Magda’s creative direction.
The completed project exudes luxury, while simultaneously being comfortable and spacious. Inspiration was taken from the art-deco building itself; the bespoke details are taken from that time period and are thoroughly checked to be held to the highest standard. Meanwhile, the colour palette of green undertones is inspired by the property’s location, Hyde Park. This creates a nice balance between the minimalism and luxury of the interior.
About Supremati
Supremati is an interior design studio dedicated exclusively to transforming living spaces into luxury, bespoke homes. Drawing on insider knowledge of the property market with an international sensibility for art & interiors, Supremati transforms complex spaces into functional luxury homes.
The magnificent Grade II listed Georgian Cuckney House on the Welbeck Estate, one of the UK’s largest and historically important country estates, has been given a complete interior makeover by Rachel McLane Ltd as part of a substantial renovation project.
Yorkshire-based Rachel McLane Ltd, one of the country’s leading interior designers, formed part of the team that has just completed the two-year project to convert the vacant Cuckney House into luxury 15-bedroom holiday and event accommodation.
The 15,000-acre Welbeck Estate on the Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire border near Sherwood Forest has a history that can be traced back nearly 900 years and is run by The Welbeck Estates Company.
The early Georgian Cuckney House was purchased by the 4th Duke of Portland in 1844 and was once home to the 6th Duke and Duchess of Portland while repairs were carried out to Welbeck Abbey in 1901 and was used as a set for the feature film Testament of Youth, Vera Brittain’s coming-of-age story during World War I.
As a prominent historical House on the Estate, it has been thoroughly but sensitively transformed during the substantial renovation project to provide a single high-spec property for extended holiday and event-related stays.
Its 15 bedrooms include family suites and a bridal suite, allowing the House to sleep more than 30 people, and it has three reception rooms, including a 28-seat dining room and a 40-seat function room. There is a large, well-appointed kitchen, games room, snug, butler’s pantry, and outside there is a large terrace with two BBQs and a wood-fired pizza oven, a walled kitchen garden and a tennis court.
The transformation of Cuckney House is part of the long-term Welbeck Project to re-purpose and breathe new life into the Estate’s collection of historic buildings.
“Welbeck Estate already owns eight self-catered holiday cottages but wanted to develop Cuckney House to accommodate guests of the Hazel Gap Wedding venue, which is based on the estate, and for longer extended family stays, including big birthday celebrations, small wedding receptions, self-catering holidays and corporate events,” said Rachel, who started work there in the pre-Covid winter of 2019 with initial meetings.
“The entire project was managed by the Welbeck Estate, which made it run like clockwork as the Estate has incredibly skilled teams across different departments. The Estates team clearly care very much about their work, and it was a real privilege to work with them on this project which went from concept stage through to building completion.”
Working closely alongside the Estate team, Rachel McLane Ltd was part of the design team that helped see through internal and external structural design changes that included a reconfiguration of the walls on the first and second floors, complete re-roofing, insulation throughout, refurbishment of all flooring, including reinstated parquet flooring, and the raising of the ceiling height in the top floor rooms, as well as electrical drawings, lighting designs, colour scheme and fabrics.
“We were able to respect Cuckney House’s listed status while giving each room its own identity and personality, reflecting the original use of the building as a Manor House. The design intent was to make Cuckney House feel like it had evolved rather than an overly designed modern interior. The overall look is eclectic and traditional, with a contemporary twist suited to today’s living expectations,” added Rachel, who headed up her own team of specialists, all of whom have worked on Cuckney House at some point in the project, including three procurers, five designers and finance manager.
The interior design also features a new art collection that the Rachel McLane team procured to make it look like the collection had evolved.
“We worked with the Estate’s collections team on scans of artwork from the collections and also with a commercial art gallery, mixing traditional and contemporary artwork on the walls and around the rooms.”
An added feel of the area’s landscape also comes from the work of Kyra Cane, a ceramic artist who rents a studio from the Welbeck Estate and whose work is on display in the House.
The restoration of Cuckney House has also been emphatically sustainable with the provision of electric car charging points, renewable energy heat sources, and solar panels. In place of energy-consuming kettles in each room, each floor was designed with a communal coffee and tea pod.
Nigel Porter, Property & Rural Estates Director, said, “For me, the interior design and the quality of the craftsmanship stand out. But of course, it is the backdrop of the Welbeck Estate and all that it offers here on the Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire border that adds that magical quality and sets it apart.”
Rachel McLane Ltd has won and been a finalist in numerous awards, including the Northern Design Awards Best Hotel Interior Design 2020, for their interior design work on the Bike & Boot Hotel in Scarborough.
About Rachel McLane Limited
Rachel McLane Ltd offers a full design service that interprets a client’s brief and delivers their project on time, on budget, and as envisaged. Every client and every project is different, so how we get there is entirely up to the client. Not every project requires internal spaces reconfiguring; not every client has an architect or project manager. However, as a general rule, their project process offers: Feasibility Study – narrowing down your options; Concept Design – sketched visuals of how your space might look; Design Detailing – producing drawings & plans for trades; Purchasing – new, bespoke or repurposed; Fit-Out.
A coveted statement space and inner sanctum, the dressing room has become an essential element of any high-end interior.
It’s a place to pull together the perfect outfit, whether you’re heading to training, to drinks, or to the airport. Thoughtful design and premium materials mean you can keep suits, shirts and shoes in immaculate condition while securing valuables like watches, jewellery and cufflinks in custom-built safes.
But this most intimate of rooms is no longer restricted to sartorial pursuits, as a growing demand for his-and-hers dressing rooms indicates. This newly shared space is now being designed for comfort and pleasure as well as practicality – many dressing rooms incorporate seating, entertainment and even a dry bar or coffee machine. Add the latest tech-enhanced features like heated drawers and sub-zero drinks stations, and you’ll soon have yourself a space you’ll never want to leave.
We caught up with Oliver Deadman, Head of Design at Clive Christian Furniture, to discuss designing your first dressing room and wardrobe, trends he’s seeing in the space and what can be expected from brand’s upcoming London Townhouse launch:
“It’s all about comfort in the dressing room: integrated seating, dry bars, entertainment systems, is also something we’re seeing of late. These spaces are being designed to spend time in, and they are evolving into entertaining spaces – much as we saw the kitchen evolve all those years ago.” – Oliver Deadman, Head of Design.
Speaking historically, the best timber to use for clothes storage is cedar, particularly cedar of Lebanon, which has fantastic antifungal and pesticide qualities. This means you can safely store your winter cashmere without the threat of moths. We have recently produced a lined subterrain clothes store for a London client, which was lined in cedar of Lebanon. A particularly nice project, this was a prized gem for the gentleman owner who is a very proud Lebanese patriot. The raw material cannot legally be cut down, which makes it very precious – the tree must fall naturally.
Design wise, what’s the first step?
Understand usage. As with all our client work, dressing spaces are extremely personal. How do you want to use it? Who do you want to be in the space with? At what times of day? All these factors hugely affect the flow and specification.
Collectors – whether sunglasses, hats, watches, shoes, or handbags –a huge number of our clients are collectors and we’re integrating more ways of displaying, protecting, and preserving their finds. Whether it be designing moveable shelves that can change and stagger in height depending on the size of an item or low-iron presentation glass. We are serially integrating custom-built safes.
Comfort in the dressing room: integrated seating, dry bars, entertainment systems, is also something we’re seeing of late. These spaces are being designed to spend time in, and they are evolving into entertaining spaces – much as we saw the kitchen evolve all those years ago.
We have seen an influx in dedicated decorative security. A fine example of this is the Buben & Zörweg safe which is to feature in the new Clive Christian Furniture Townhouse, housing watch winders, jewel pads and currency drawers all behind the finest quilted leather and German steel. In LA we recently specified a safe product, which lives discreetly behind a push-to-open, mechanically operated full-length mirror. On a smaller scale we have a fast-drop integrated drawer safe, which allows clients to drop keys, daily jewellery, wallets, passports, etc. – operated by fingerprint recognition.
Appliances are becoming more present as spaces become more entertainment-led. We’re integrating beverage centres (Sub-Zero), Kaelo bottle systems within islands and even warming drawers used to preheat your linens and bathrobes.
As with most modern approaches to room layout, functional aspects are neatly hidden to preserve clean-cut decorative outer linework. Drawer separation, cable management for beauty appliances, pullout/up/down storage (for increased accessibility) – even dual-sided cabinets. Interior options are about balance, increasing functionality and workflow – without detracting from the desired aesthetic.
The room plays a trick on the eye – a large central opening appears to cast a reflection of the cabinetry from left to right. Each space (hers and his in this instance) features a fitted tall run of metro deco inlay furniture with a central dressing island. Hers is frosted maple, while his is black walnut to create a fantastic yin yang effect. Hers concentrates on decorative storage for shoes, bags and long flowing garments (through fluted glass), while his has a beautiful central feature of the Buben & Zörweg leather-appointed safe.
“Appliances are becoming more present as spaces become more entertainment-led. We’re integrating beverage centres (Sub-Zero), Kaelo bottle systems within islands and even warming drawers used to preheat your linens and bathrobes.” – Oliver Deadman, Head of Design
The dressing room lends itself very well to personalisation. This is ever present in the fashion industry – we naturally adopt terminology like ‘tailored pieces’, ‘bespoke design’, ‘client monogram’ – we could quite easily be discussing a suit, when in reality it is about the space it is housed within. Why wouldn’t you want to adopt the same character and level of detail? A previous conversation I had when discussing a client brief likened the cabinetry in question to a Paul Smith suit: business on the outside, party on the inside! Cabinetry can be customised with bold leather, exotic veneers and glass work to pack a discreet statement.
I think the integration of creature comforts within the space is fantastic, bringing the feel of a hotel stay to the everyday. A dry bar for the evenings, coffee facilities for the mornings, all set just off an adjoining wet room – with soft music and a comfy chair arrangement… blissful.
About Clive Christian Furniture
Clive Christian Furniture Co. collaborates with discerning clients keen to create the world’s finest spaces. It’s about elevating the everyday to make the places you live, work or entertain feel truly exceptional. By combining creativity, innovation and the very best of British artisan skill, they help you craft an environment as unique as you are.
Emily Parry, Interior Designer at CMS Group has given her insights into the industry. With 16 years’ experience as an interior designer, Emily has worked on a wide range of projects including home interior redesign, healthcare design, interior design for education, and styling for show homes. Particular highlights have been the £500k re-design of a Malverns country manor and complete project management and design of an 18th Century chapel conversion. A talented designer with an artistic eye and great attention to detail, Emily has the creativity to find unique solutions to client briefs and is committed to ensuring smooth progress from start to finish. Emily now specialises in designing and sourcing for residential clients.
My Dad was a furniture designer, Mum a soft furnishings designer and one of my brothers an architect, so a career within the design industry was almost inevitable. I grew up surrounded by fabric samples and paints, watching my Dad work in his workshop, attending showrooms and trade shows, and helping Mum cut fabrics for curtains. I spent school holidays in Dad’s furniture factory (now one of the UK’s leading upholsterers) – as a child roaming around and chatting with the upholsterers (mostly causing mischief) and as a teen watching and learning the design process from concept through to completion.
Whilst completing my A-Levels in Art & Design I worked alongside Mum for a period which gave me more experience in interiors. As a soft furnishings professional, her work was centred around upholstery, curtain making and styling and I would often help her to hang her beautiful curtains and add the finishing touches to a scheme. I took on my first paid project at the age of 17, completing a show home for a high-end development of apartments in Sutton Coldfield – I loved every second of the design process and knew this was the career for me.
Above all, I love the staging side of design, being creative and making things look beautiful. I’m a bit of a maximalist with a love for having lots of things around that look visually aesthetic. I really enjoy working with textures, textiles, patterns and colours, and have a keen eye and love for fabrics which is definitely influenced by my Mum.
Another part of the profession I enjoy is, of course, meeting people! I love to chat to clients, work out what they like and don’t like, and understand their vision. With every client and space being different, some projects take me out of my comfort zone, but this is something I love about my work. For instance, working with a client who’s looking for something minimalist is not what I might go for myself, but what a wonderful opportunity for learning, innovating, and broadening my design portfolio. Every project offers its own unique challenge!
The most rewarding thing I’ve worked on recently was a manor house in the Malvern Hills. I completed the interiors for a handful of rooms within the main house and post-completion the owner decided they were going to convert a barn into an annex. I oversaw the whole whole project, converting the barn into a modern country cottage and whilst it took me out of my comfort zone in terms of style it provided the perfect opportunity to merge my creativity together with the client’s vision to create something truly wonderful. We were both thrilled with the result, and it is one of my favourite projects of all time.
I love working on residential projects the most, where you have a brief and end up producing something completely different to what you first imagined. My favourite projects are not necessarily high-end residential. I really enjoy designing where there’s a conservative budget and you have to supply items and furnishings in creative ways and make them look beautiful. You can find some real treasures in places like Etsy, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace!
I’ve also loved working on some projects at schools. I recently designed a school library, which was a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding process. It’s nice to do something that you know is improving children’s educational experience and surroundings and will be enjoyed by many for many years to come.
Since working as an interior designer within an Architects practice the most challenging aspect has been getting to grips with the specialist CAD side of design. As someone who was trained in, and enjoys, drawing freehand I really enjoy getting out my drawing board and rainbow assortment of pens and paints, transitioning into working digitally has been a journey!
As a designer I believe it is really important to see schemes in the flesh, see the colours and feel the textures, and whilst I don’t believe it is the end of the ‘mood board’, working digitally is becoming much more relevant in the world of interiors. There are however so many benefits to working with CAD including higher degrees of accuracy, reduced timescales and easier channels of distribution, to name but a few.
I was incredibly fortunate as I had an insight as to what it was like to work in this industry long before I began my career, as I grew up surrounded by it. I entered the world of design with my eyes very wide open.
Growing up with parents always out and about, I saw first-hand that being self-employed can mean working long hours, often meeting with clients in the evenings and at weekends. Though whilst this didn’t come as a surprise, I still had to develop my ability to be malleable and able to work around other people’s availability and schedules.
My top tip would be to be adaptable to your clients. Sometimes a client won’t want a little piece of you – they’ll want you to deliver a little piece of them into the scheme. So having the ability to listen to them, understand their vision, and adapt your design approach to fit the brief is essential.
I think there’s going to be a lot more environmentally friendly design and biophilic design. Largely stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re seeing a renewed desire across populations to improve their health and wellbeing at home, work and leisure which interior design can contribute to in many ways. We are also seeing much more ‘flexible living’ incorporated within design; people are working from home more often and are generally spending more time within the home environment and we are seeing a rise in multi-generational living. These changes within our social world reflect on the world of design and we are seeing more and more products related to this such as eco-friendly and low carbon footprint lighting and suites to multi-functional storage solutions.
People are becoming increasingly conscious of the environment, upcycling, reusing, and making more sustainable in all areas of their lives. Second hand selling websites such as eBay and Vinted are soaring, and the interior design industry has great potential to evolve in line with these developments.
I’m really proud to have become an SBID Accredited Interior Designer. Although I have years of experience and a wealth of knowledge, I have spent many years being a mother to my three children and it has been great to finally return to my career and my passion.
About CMS Group: Emily Parry
With a long background in the design industry Emily Parry has an exceptionally diverse portfolio of work from her previous roles, both as a freelance and employed interior designer. These have included complete home interior redesign, specialist healthcare design, Interior design for Education and styling for show homes. With a history in kitchen & bathroom design and hailing from a family of renowned furniture designers, and having more recently diversified her experience as a project manager, she currently specialises in designing and sourcing for residential clients, regardless of the size or complexity of the project.
Following the success of the award-winning Armstrong kitchen collection, the British brassware and sanitaryware manufacturer Perrin & Rowe has taken this design DNA into the bathroom. Combining an industrial aesthetic with a designer’s eye for balance and proportion, Armstrong offers a luxurious take on a pared-back design trend, with distinctive knurled handles and raised levers paying homage to our industrial past.
Perrin & Rowe’s foundry in Wolverhampton is just a short walk from the former site of the Stafford Road Railway Works. From 1858, it produced over 800 steam engines for the Great Western Railway. Most were designed by two brothers, Joseph and George Armstrong. Intended as durable workhorses, their locomotives still stir the emotions today. Perrin & Rowe’s Armstrong bathroom collection has been inspired by these brothers, transforming the purely functional into a model of timeless elegance.
Beautifully proportioned with restrained detailing, the Armstrong bathroom collection is one of the most comprehensive ranges Perrin & Rowe has ever launched. For basins, there is a single lever mixer and a dual lever mixer, both available as wall-mounted or deck-mounted. There is a complete Shower Set with hand-shower and overhead rose. Accessories include robe hooks, a paper holder, a towel bar or towel ring, and a matching built-in soap dispenser for a cohesive design. The standout piece is perhaps the freestanding bath-shower mixer. It takes 4-5 hours of skilled polishing to bring this glorious bathroom centrepiece to final perfection.
As with all Perrin & Rowe brassware, the collection is designed by the in-house design team at Rainham in East London. Tap bodies are forged at the Perrin & Rowe foundry in the Black Country using the highest quality brass, poured by hand at 1700° Fahrenheit into moulds. After machining, specialist polishers develop the deep, lustrous finish. It’s a time-consuming and painstaking task.
Armstrong can be specified in Chrome, Nickel or Pewter or a choice of special finishes; 24-carat Gold, Polished Brass, Satin Brass, and English Bronze. Perrin & Rowe’s two brass finishes are unlacquered, so will develop a unique patina over time, enhancing the beauty of the surface. For a true industrial look, English Bronze offers a darker metallic finish that brings out the detail of the knurled handles.
In discussions at House of Rohl’s London showroom, interior designers expressed a strong interest in a range of luxury bathroom brassware with an industrial edge. The Armstrong bathroom collection has been created to match this demand. Previewed earlier this at ISH in Frankfurt and Design Week in London, the initial reaction to the bathroom collection was as positive as it had been for the kitchen collection, some 2½ years earlier. It has already been shortlisted for an international design award by the Society of British & International Interior Designers (SBID). Armstrong is now available in the UK and most EMEAA markets.
About Perrin & Rowe
The World’s finest range of bathroom and kitchen fittings. Perrin & Rowe is a British-based brassware and sanitaryware manufacturer with an unrivaled reputation internationally – bringing together traditional craftsmanship and manufacturing methods with precision engineering. Perrin & Rowe is a distinctive member of the House of Rohl.
The company’s founder, Reghina Ivanco, shares more details with us: “The story of Art Focus Studio and my business, which eventually led me to set up my own company, started when I was still in college. The graduation took place under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin at that time. The topic of my diploma thesis was the reconstruction of the Luceafărul Theatre. I was awarded first place and a prize of 30,000 lei for the best diploma thesis. Thanks to this, I got a job at a big architectural firm, ARD, whose director was the famous architect Gheorghe D. Telpiz. He became my mentor and teacher, who taught me not only how to draw, but also how to run a business. All in all, working at ARD was a great experience for me. Gradually, I expanded my clientele. Then, at some point, I realized I was ready to work for myself and started my own company, Art Focus Studio based in Chisinau.”
Currently, the company specializes in interior design. We also help the client with the choice of materials. Apart from design, we also carry out turnkey projects. The main types of services we offer are the design of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings; 3D development and visualization, as well as project supervision.
The Art Focus Studio team consists of responsible and creative people, designers, or architects. In total, the team comprises six highly qualified professionals. Each of them is involved in the realization of individual projects. I carry out the functions of a project manager, generating new ideas, managing the project, and supervising the construction site.
Our work is based on several fundamental principles. First of all, we follow the rule “Less Talk, More Action”. Secondly, trust and empathy between the designer and the client are very important to us. We also value the ability to solve problems quickly and work on results. And, of course, the aesthetic side is essential for all of us.
We have a number of successful projects in our portfolio, both in Moldova and abroad. Basically, we deal with interior design and design in residential and commercial projects. Among the large-scale projects implemented in Moldova are Zity Mall and Oasis Mall. Both projects have been very interesting for us. For example, Oasis Mall is a luxury project. There will be stores of premium brands in the mall, i.e. the interior of the mall had to be representative and direct the visitor to a certain standard. We designed the interior in an Art Deco style and completed it with brass and bronze elements. As for the Oasis Mall project, it is still in the realization stage.
Successful projects include the Aquaterra Resort Holercani clubhouse on the banks of the Dniester River. On the site of a destroyed nine-story building, we designed the interior design of the apartments, restaurant, and swimming pool. We also did the interior design for the TREND chain of stores. As for projects abroad, our team designed a two-story residential house in St. Petersburg. Another project, no less interesting, is in Shanghai. We designed a showroom for the Italian furniture factory DV Homecollection.
For the second year in a row, our company was ranked in the top three in the category “Best Residential Interior Design of the Year” at the DAS Interiors Awards.
We are targeting the international market. I can definitely say that Art Focus Studio will assert itself on the international market more.
The uniqueness of Oasis Shopping Mall lies in the monumental character of the project. The interior of the mall has been designed in the Art Deco style. The construction was started in 2018 and the completion date is scheduled for the end of 2021.
A 170-square-meter apartment in the HIGH PARK clubhouse. The interior is designed in a modern style, close to luxury minimalism. The decor of the bedrooms is enriched by geometric textile panels, while colourful mirrors create a visual effect of infinite space. The LED lights, installed across the apartment, lead the eye from the central scene to the background, creating a wave-like effect. A pleasant haze of soft light envelops the space.
A 165 sqm duplex penthouse for a young couple in minimalist style. The main decoration of the living room is the luxurious fibre concrete cupola, which creates an unusual light show that also delimits the space and creates a special atmosphere. The conceptual interior fulfils the basic objective of minimalism – conciseness.
About Art Focus Studio
Reghina Ivanco’s dedication to her craft and her team’s impressive achievements make Art Focus Studio a true standout in the world of art and design. In addition to their numerous accolades and achievements, Art Focus Studio also offers a wide range of high-end design services. From space planning to construction administration, their team provides the full scope of design services necessary to bring their clients’ visions to life. They specialize in design concept development, presentation, construction drawings, specification, purchasing, and installation of materials. Art Focus Studio’s commitment to providing exceptional design services is evident in their attention to detail and dedication to delivering exceptional results.
Lydia Robinson, Creative Director at Design Storey has given her insights into the industry.
I’m a qualified architect and between my first two architectural degrees spent a period working in London where I worked on the conversion of a Grade I listed Wren church tower into a private home. This was a pivotal project and inspired a love of historic buildings. After completing my architectural education I moved to Vancouver, Canada. It was just supposed to be a working holiday but myself and my partner ended up staying there 7 years! I worked at a medium sized practice which had a large variety of projects from airports to homes but with a focus on interiors.
On returning to the UK I had a short spell working at the Bristol office of a large commercial architectural practice, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, where I was involved in some high profile London projects including the fitout of the new google headquarters in St Pancras and the reception area of the White Collar Factory in Old Street. I was also the project lead for the interiors of the new ward for the Teenage Cancer Trust in the Bristol Haemotology centre.
However, my passion for historic buildings still burnt strong, and setting up my own architectural practice, Design Storey, with my partner Lawrence enabled me to get back to smaller-scale domestic work and historic buildings. Our first project was the Miner’s Cottages, our own project and home, where we reinstated several “lost” historic features. Despite not being listed, our sensitive approach was recognised by the Royal Institute of British Architects, and the project was the recipient of two awards, including the special award for Building Conservation. This enabled the launch of Design Storey
I’m a qualified architect and worked for several years in Vancouver, Canada in an architectural practice which also specialised in interior design. One of the directors was an interior designer and even the architectural projects also had a strong interiors focus. When I returned to the UK and started Design Storey, I always felt it was important to ensure the interiors worked with the architectural design and I try to ensure that the two work seamlessly together. For example, our first project as a practice was the extension and refurbishment of a c18th miners cottage. It was probably more of an interiors project than an architectural one and being the recipient of two RIBA awards, gave me the confidence to promote that we can also work on interiors.
Meeting a wide variety of clients in their homes and getting to know them personally. We have worked with a diverse range of clients from ones in media and sport, through to those that are at the top of their profession. We feel privileged that they entrust us with the design of their homes and be part of their team. I also enjoy the fact that due to the range of building types and projects that we work on, from houses to gyms, contemporary to historic buildings, every day presents a new challenge and opportunity for learning. We really enjoy working with the suppliers to understand how we can get the most out of their products and push the boundaries, for example, working out how to backlight the polycarbonate walls at the most recent LUXE fitness site. We had to make mock-ups and work closely with the lighting designer to demonstrate to the client that the design would work and provide the desired effect.
Going to the client’s birthday party in the barn at the cotswolds retreat and seeing the bar used by a professional barman as well as the owners looking so relaxed and enjoying the space. It was a long and complex project as the design and construction work was done in lockdown so it felt such a relief to come out of the pandemic and be able to socialise again of course the project getting short listed for an SBID award was the icing on the cake!
I have been fortunate to work on quite a large variety of interiors projects from an airport, to a university bookstore as well as private houses in my career. Since we founded design storey the focus has been private residential and it is always humbling to be chosen to work on someone’s own inseparable space as each one is unique and personal to the individual. It is always lovely to be invited back to a house you have worked on for dinner or drinks and see people using the space or just visit a family that have settled into the building and the owner and home become fused together.
As a counterpoint to the houses we have also worked on a number of gyms – these are rewarding as the projects are accessible to a greater number of people not just a single individual. The concept for the interiors also has to be strong and appeal to a variety of people so it is a good design challenge.
I think one of the biggest challenges is helping clients to narrow their focus and prioritise their requirements. There are so many options out there from cover plates to kitchens that it can be quite overwhelming for clients, and there is so much visual stimulus online and the media that people can easily lose focus. Interior designers are providing a service and part of that service is talking through the brief with the client and finding out what makes them tick, you can then create a space that is bespoke to their requirements.
The fact that you can expect a fresh challenge everyday and every client and project is unique so be prepared to be challenged on a daily basis. Having a good design portfolio from your studies does not necessarily translate to being a good designer in practice; emotional intelligence and empathy can take you a long way and ultimately win you work or sell your ideas to the client. The world is not fair and don’t take things personally; when clients or planners don’t feel you have got the best design be prepared to work through it and justify your design better or recognise that the concept isn’t right. Its cliche but getting knocked back does make you stronger and if you are not prepared for that then working in subjective design-led profession might not be the right environment. I wish I had also understood the difference between being good at running a business vs being a good designer; my design education didn’t prepare me for understanding balance sheets, HR, marketing and selling your services which are all important part of being a design professional.
Projects can take quite a while to come to fruition, sometimes several years. When a project finishes, take time to revisit it and celebrate the successes and learn from your failures. Returning to a finished project multiple times after completion can provide valuable insights as to whether the design performed as you were hoping and you can learn valuable lessons from the aspects that didn’t.
AI is going to become more prevalent as well as an increasing need to be sustainable in terms of the way we design buildings, the material choices we are making and the long term vision for the building. I’m a big believer in “repairing, reusing and recycling” and working with the fabric of a building. I think the consumerism we have seen in recent years is going to slow down and people are going to make more considered choices and not treat interiors as disposable. A lot can be done with recovering furniture, refinishing flooring, refreshing rather than throwing away into landfill.
To be accepted by a prestigious organisation is always an honour and a validation of the work you have done to date. As I trained as an architect, being registered as an interior designer enables us as a practice to champion the interiors elements of a project and demonstrates to clients that we have expertise and capability in that field.
About Design Storey
Design Storey are an award winning architectural and interiors practice known for high-end homes, heritage and lifestyle projects. They design beautiful homes by repurposing old buildings, or creating new ones, to enhance their client’s everyday lives. Based in elegant Oxford, their designs are inspired by experiences working in both London and Vancouver, as well as the beautiful surroundings of the Cotswolds. They are selective about the projects they work on, offering a high level of personal service, so the directors remain directly involved in projects, to ensure that each design is individually tailored to the client and its context.
Chris Holwell, Owner and Designer at Domus Design and Build has given his insights into the industry. Domus, is a small company that specialises in home interior design and remodelling internal spaces.
While studying for a potential career in architecture after leaving school, I found myself drawn to the sculpture department at my local college. The creative freedom I discovered in the fine arts had a profound effect on me, and it wasn’t long before I found myself studying for a degree in the discipline. After graduating, I relocated to London, where I pursued my role as an artist and also took on a number of part-time jobs in theatre design. I was becoming more interested in “created environments”, my art had taken on more of an installation feel and, as we know, the theatre is all about a designed environment. In the early 2000s, I was lucky enough to meet clients who were interested in what I could create in their own domestic space, and it was at this juncture that I became what I would call a creative builder. At this early stage, it never occurred to me that I could call myself an interior designer. After completing a number of successful contracts, I took up a position as a construction project manager for a development company. While I found this role very rewarding, I felt frustrated at having to put my creativity on the back burner. However, the Covid pandemic and lockdowns gave me an opportunity to reassess my career, and I took the decision to set up Domus as a dedicated home interior design and build company.
What I enjoy above all in this profession is the challenge of coming across an unloved or misused space, and creating a scheme that exceeds my client’s expectations. Suggesting elements that were not thought possible while sticking to a set budget is truly rewarding.
I recently had a project to remodel a large Edwardian reception room, which had been divided into separate zones in the 70s, and where a significant proportion of the original ornate plaster moulded ceiling had been destroyed. Not only was the room remodelled to create a self-contained studio flat, but the ceiling was totally restored and left exposed above the different modular living spaces, ensuring it could once again be admired and enjoyed.
Every project presents its own challenges, and finding the solutions to these challenges is a very positive process. I particularly enjoy working on period properties, restoring and enhancing original features, often introducing modern themes to add to the overall success of the desired look and feel of the space.
I believe that interior design is an artform, and I would therefore expect designers to exercise their discipline with passion and determination. However, aligning this determination with the client’s own aspirations and enthusiasm can sometimes be challenging. In my experience, the end result is always better when a good deal of effort has been made upstream to avoid unnecessary compromise – and that is where the expert guidance of a professional designer comes into play.
Entering a new field of work can be very intimidating and the thought of not knowing enough can feel overwhelming. However, I believe that we all should start a profession with an uncluttered mind, and that holding onto this candour is essential, so that every project can be approached with an open mind. One never stops learning, especially in this field.
Time and time again, I have come to realise that one needs to be totally comfortable with one’s own abilities. So my advice to an aspiring designer would be to be confident in your own abilities, to accept good advice, and to approach every project with an open mind, so as to let the building “do the talking”.
Personal space is becoming increasingly valuable and moving house is not always a viable option, so designing spaces around these parameters has never been more important, and achieving maximum creativity within limited spaces is an absolute must. The industry also needs to continue to embrace the current challenges faced by the planet, through careful selection of materials, through recycling and restoration, and by minimising transportation when sourcing materials. I also believe that it’s important, whenever and wherever possible, to work within the local community, developing strong links with local trades, suppliers and makers.
Being an SBID Accredited Interior Designer is important in a number of ways. It provides independent professional recognition and credibility, which clients can trust. It improves my understanding of the industry through professional development, information and advice, and enables me to keep in touch with my peers.
About Domus
Domus specialises in remodelling, restoring or simply redecorating internal spaces to ensure they reach their full potential. Embarking on a project to enhance any room in your home can be daunting. And while you may have an overall idea of what you want, bringing these ideas to fruition, with the multitude of practicalities that need to be put in motion, is a skilled operation. We work with you to bring your vision to life, offering ideas and CAD to complement your own proposals, with a fully project-managed service from design to completion.
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