Interior planning and design
Business Interiors
Interior design for businesses is not a luxury. We live in a visual world. If your business is not worth a picture it doesn’t exist. If the picture is not worth a share on social media the business only half exists. And this is before we consider the way a business’ appearance affects clients and their customer experience. The business’ interior design creates a bridge between it and its customers and is a base for the relationship between them. I base my approach to this relationship on my artistic world, the client’s world and the business’ identity and practical needs.
Hotel Design
Hotels, B&Bs and other guest houses function on two levels. On the one hand they are located in a certain geographical location which affects their identity. They serve a local clientele and are connected to it. On the other hand they are the door through which foreign guests enter the local culture. When I think of hotel design or B&B design, whether working on a lobby or the guest rooms, I take all this into consideration and add to it the characteristics which the owner wants to give the business as well as the practical considerations. Hotel design often includes designing independent businesses within the hotel. Thus it often includes things like spa design, restaurant design, shop design etc. Each of these is an independent unit and yet part of the hotel at the same time and has to be reflected in their interior design.
Restaurant Design
Like hotels, restaurants serve locals as well as foreign guests. On top of that the restaurant’s cuisine has to be considered. Some restaurants require an almost theatrical atmosphere to serve as the background for the dining experience. For me restaurant design is the creation of a work of art which combines many worlds into a new and unique experience.
Office Interior Design
When approaching office interior design I consider how the office is used. Is the work individual or is it done in teams? Or maybe there is a need for a flexible space which can change functions? Each business works differently and has different office requirements. It is also important to consider the user’s comfort and provide optimal working conditions. Added to that is the fact that offices are often part of a business’ branding. In my work I attempt to balance marketing considerations with practical needs and aesthetic issues in order to create and effective working space.
Spa Design
Designing a spa gives me the opportunity to create a world in which we can indulge our senses and cleanse ourselves physically and emotionally from day to day worries. In a world in which stress is highly common I aim to create a place in which we will be able to put the real world aside for a little while and just be.
Home Design
There is nothing like having a guest step into our home and go “wow!”. There is nothing like stepping into our own home and going “wow!” ourselves. For each of us this “wow” results from something different. Some people like their home to be cosy. For some it is important that it will impress. Some just find that something in their home is not working for them and are searching for a solution. I discover what my clients’ practical needs are and what gives them that “wow” feeling and use my technical knowledge and my artistic background to create for them a space that will fulfill their dreams.
Living room and kitchen design
Living Room Design
The living room is a meeting place, a gathering place. It is also a display area and a recreation and entertainment area. Together with the kitchen it is the heart of the home. The way I see it, designing a living room is to give that heart a visual expression in color, texture, shape and light.
Kitchen Design
In most homes today kitchens and living rooms are built in one open space. Whether I am designing a standard kitchen or a luxurious one, I always pay attention to the relationship between the two spaces so that the result is functional, comfortable and pleasing to the eye.
Children’s Room Design
Designing a child’s room is one of many ways to embrace them and to show them how much they mean to us. A child’s room is required to fill many functions: it is a bedroom, a study, a playroom and an entertaining space all at once. The design has to create a room that will be able to serve all these functions while taking into consideration the child’s and the parents’ dreams for the room and remaining realistic. So here is a room in which I had to combine all these functions in order to create a room which would fit both a boy and a girl while using wall stickers the children chose, a color palette dictated by paint remains from a previous paint job in the house and existing furniture.
Custom Made Furniture
We all know what it’s like, if only we had an extra cupboard, some extra storage… That is often the time to design a piece especially suited to the space and to storage needs. In the picture is a corner cabinet which makes use of an empty niche and hides the electrical cabinet while retaining access to it.
Home Office Design
A home office is an office and yet it is also part of the home. It should be representative but also comfortable and functional. Sometimes a home office also doubles as a guest room and then we must think of it also in the context of a bedroom. Home office design and indeed interior design in general is like putting together a puzzle in which a multitude of pieces and little details create the complete picture.
Bathroom Design
When we renovate a bathroom it is our opportunity to treat ourselves to a space in which we can cleanse ourselves no only physically but also emotionally. In a world in which stress is a common problem creating a private corner in which we can disconnect from reality and just be is no longer a luxury. It is necessary for our health and wellbeing.