3 interior experts on how they created their perfect home
In these tumultuous times, the place in which we live holds greater significance than ever before. KATIE BERRINGTON speaks to three interior experts about their lockdown spaces and how to make the most of yours
Ana Kraš, furniture designer, artist and photographer
What are your favorite areas in your home and how would you describe their aesthetic?
My studio and terrace: the studio zone makes up half of my loft and it’s very simple – literally just a bunch of working surfaces, with an oversized desk. My terrace is spacious but simple as well, with a table, bench, and a few chairs. There’s an aluminium shelf I got at a restaurant supply store – I love aluminium furniture – and a punchbag in the corner, because I love to do that, too, plus a few random plants that have grown from wild seeds.
Where do you work and where do you relax?
My space is work and living in one, which is how I feel about my work and life – there is no place and time where one stops and the other begins. I do have a curtain that divides the space in half – studio zone and my home – but in reality, it is all one thing. Being a furniture designer, 95 percent of the objects in the house are my own pieces and prototypes.
Have you been reimagining your space during this time?
My space changes all the time, as I am working on new projects, but that being said, I never actually think about redesigning. It’s just not in my personality to think ahead – the changes happen spontaneously.
If you could be anywhere else right now, where would it be?
At the seaside in Greece or Montenegro, because nothing makes me happier than the Mediterranean Sea.
What kind of space inspires your greatest creativity?
My home space, because I am so comfortable in it.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to bring a positive change to their home during lockdown?
Light. Lighting makes the biggest difference to a home – it can change the entire mood. Get a lamp (or a few) that gives a soft, beautiful, comfortable light, and turn the ceiling spotlights off forever (unless you’re cleaning the house).
See more of what inspires Ana on Instagram @teget
Nathalie Farman-Farma, textile designer and founder of Décors Barbares
What are your favorite areas in your home and how would you describe the aesthetic?
My bedroom is always the coziest place to be. I am surrounded by books, photographs, icons, Turkmen necklaces – objects with shine or personal significance. I also have a fabric with branches upholstering my walls, so I feel like I am in my nest. I use an antique American quilt as a bedspread, which lifts the room and conceals the sloppiness of bedding.
Where do you work and where do you relax?
I am spending all my time gardening the jumble of plants on my little terrace, which is just off the mezzanine where I have my computer, printer and files. With this splendid weather, I sit outside for tea breaks and fantasize about having friends over for cocktails while I tend to every leaf and flower.
Have you been reimagining your space during this time?
As a fabric designer, I have imaginary homes the way some children have imaginary friends: an Alpine chalet, a Connecticut farmhouse, an apartment in Paris, one in Saint Petersburg… I am always thinking of rooms. Yet luckily, I like my home just as it is. Going forward, I think we will be making more use of our dining room. As soon as social mingling is allowed, there will be a craze of small dinners at home.
If you could be anywhere else right now, where would it be?
I would love to be in Rome or Venice, without the throngs of tourists.
What kind of space do you feel inspires your greatest creativity?
Inside a book – either a novel or an illustrated book. Creativity can’t be forced – it’s important to be alone and to ponder. I find reading leads me there.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to bring a positive change to their home during lockdown?
First, ruthlessly de-clutter while you can, and then travel online into historic rooms. This is not wasted time. Creating mood boards is key to developing personal home style. Hopefully, a pattern of predilections will emerge.
See Nathalie’s work on Instagram @nathaliefarmanfarma
Gloria Gonzalez, founder of Directorio Deco
What are your favorite areas in your home and how would you describe their aesthetic?
I have an open-plan living area – that’s where I spend most of my time while I’m at home. When I want to switch off from work, I go to my bedroom – it’s a very calming space, with small doses of color and pattern. I live in a contemporary rental flat, but I’m a bit of a maximalist at heart, so pieces like an upholstered headboard, a hand-embroidered pillow or a patterned lampshade have helped me infuse some personality into it.
Where do you work and where do you relax?
At the moment, my dining table has become my desk, and I try to keep everything work-related there. If I want to relax, I go to the balcony. It makes me happy to see the flowers I planted back in Easter in full bloom. I love sitting there with my coffee in the mornings, before the day starts.
Have you been reimagining your space during this time?
I think about the things I can change or add to my flat all the time! My to-do list, once lockdown is over, includes upholstering an ottoman and framing some intaglios.
If you could be anywhere other than the place you are at the moment, where would it be?
It would have to be Spain. I feel so lucky to have been brought up there: the culture, the people, the food, from north to south – I just can’t pick what I like the most!
What kind of space do you feel inspires your greatest creativity?
I like spaces with plenty of natural light – bonus points if they have a view of a garden or mountains. I feel inspired in the countryside, somewhere quiet and calm, and even better if the interiors have character. Collected rather than decorated homes are my favorites.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to bring a positive change to their home during lockdown?
Take care of the small details: setting a colorful table, or arranging supermarket flowers in a beautiful vase. And rethink what you have, from hanging some plates on the wall to painting a chair. If you are going to buy things, shop consciously and try to support creatives as much as you can. If you have been eyeing an artwork for a while, this is the time to go for it!
See Gloria’s work on Instagram @bygloriagonzalez