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Interior
Design IDEAS AND TRENDS An interview with Jana Novakova, Design Director Aalto Exclusive Design
What is do you see exciting in interior design nowadays? There has never been such an extent of choices of materials, natural or man-made available. Also, a vast variety of design styles and their modern twist have made a comeback, making interior Design nowadays very interesting, creative and joyful. What pleases me is to see is the growth of sustainable products on the current market, the reutilization and transformation of existing objects or the growing popularity of vintage objects. For me what is quite exciting, but, I believe a short lasting trend, is the return of art-deco, curvy shapes and pastel colors, white ball chandeliers, in current design concepts. The long lasting trend however, will be the mixing of colors and textures with shades of white with wood, natural and man made stones (especially greys), high quality natural fabrics (such as boucle, modern wool mixes, colored linen), stucco paints. There is no limit to originality. I am also very keen on colored glass in lamps or vases, glass is very versatile and a sustainable product. What is a design style of AALTO? We completely adapt to the preferences of the clients, mostly contemporary or modern style, but always with some eclectic accents such as vintage looking vases or mid century armchairs… Our preferred go to when working on a project 60
is to add splash of color in bespoke art, décor accents or lighting and keeping the structural items in neutrals. We love to dress up the walls with wall paneling, wall coverings, murals or textural paint, there is so much to gain in dressing up the walls, rather than just hanging art when a wall is too big. In a typical AALTO project you can spot a large coffee table, nicely balanced color schemes, quality finishes and modern style aiming for a timeless look. What have you worked on recently that stands out? We have just finished a 5-bedroom apartment in Puente Romano in “AALTO style”, we have used luxury finishes, wood paneling, mirrors, and wall coverings to make the place cozy and warm, contrasting with light furnishing. The interior is very elegant and luxurious, perfect for a 5* catered holidays. We are currently delivering also a very special project; it is a villa in first line in Marbella East, where the requirement of the client was to make a futuristic house. It is very light and monochromatic, the mix of eye-catching modern architecture by Gonzalo Jacobsen, luxurious finishes and quality of craftsmanship make the project outstanding. How do you source for your projects, where do you look for inspiration?
The project for us always starts with the client’s vision for the property and existing architecture. It is very important for us to understand the client’s expectations. From there we develop a proposal to get the most potential out of the existing space, respecting the client’s preferred style(s), color scheme, and budget adding AALTO’s knowhow. Many times we have to adjust to existing finishes, and incorporate favorite colors or art and we build on it. It is as if the design is already in the space itself and we enhance it with inspirations mostly from nature and contrasts. One leading element balances another and all together in a room has to fit like a puzzle. We like to use contrasts of various types - raw and smooth textures, contemporary and vintage, color and proportions of patterns, masculine and feminine look, angular and lin-ear shape etc. What would you recommend people to pay attention to when they are furnishing their holiday home? Not to go for the current trends or try to implement all ideas at once, mixing apples and pears.
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