Interview

Interview

Shauntelle Hamlett of the wonderful interior blog A Beautiful Abode, has done an interview with me a while ago that has been published last Friday: oh my goodness! I'm sharing it with you here (slight delay on account of visual layout hiccups):

INSPIRED BY LIFE: AN INTERVIEW WITH BONVIVANT DESIGN’S MIRJAM SPRONK

Mirjam and Nico of Bonvivant Design

I have a treat for you today– a new interview!

I actually virtually met interior stylist and designerMirjam Spronk of Bonvivant Desig

almost exactly a year ago via Twitter. Immediately I was drawn to Mirjam’s unique 

style and, most specifically, to the way she draws inspiration from her New Zealand 

surroundings and incorporates it into her design products.

Originally I intended to publish this interview earlier in this year but ya’ll know how life

has a way of derailing your best intentions, right?  I’m glad that I am finally able to 

publish Mirjam’s interview now and I know that you guys will find it just as interesting

as I did!

Although I’m familiar with your background from reading your blog, Mindpopsicles, 

would you share a little bit about yourself with my readers?  Are you originally from 

New Zealand?  How did you go from earning a degree in Mixed Media to becoming an

interior stylist and product designer?

I was born in the Netherlands and lived there most of my life. My husband and I emi-

grated to New Zealand in 2002. We fell completely in love with the vast spaces, 

abundant nature and the great variety in scenery. The people are friendly and helpful, 

still having that trusting trait that the Dutch society seems to have lost due to its 

‘hardening up’ as people live so close together.

After 5 years of study with a BA of mixed media, I had set up my own design studio; 

work consisted mostly of graphic design work with incorporated illustration: I designed

logos, brochures, stationary, leaflets and book covers. I also had a stint at a publisher

firm and a Real Estate agency before heading out to Down Under.

My first job in New Zealand was apple picking. This is a great idea for meeting the 

most interesting (local) people, building stamina and losing weight. I have fond memo-

ries of that time, even though it was very hard work! But being outdoors, in the most 

beautiful scenery that the Otago region has to offer, all that sweating and cursing made

it absolute gold.  It was a very de-urbanizing experience and an eye opener too.

Beautiful New Zealand

copyright photo: Nico Vos

After that we traveled New Zealand extensively and decided to head up to the biggest 

city on the north island, Auckland. I found work as a sales person working for a furniture

 and interior accessory store and after 3 weeks I was asked to become the branch

 manager. I worked my hardest and learned a lot. Not only was the styling in the store

 and advising customers on their interior a learning curve, so was dealing with 3 staff. 

Acquiring managing skills through experience taught me many things about New 

Zealand culture and people in general. It also gave me experience by trial and error on

what works in interiors, and what doesn’t.

When we moved South, I found work as a branch manager for a furniture and interior

design store.  Styling interiors comes naturally to me and I really enjoy it.  My boss used

to say that good interior design comes from breeding it in to you, not from going to 

school.  I certainly think an education helps, but you do learn most from experience, 

training your eyes on shape, form and designing in 3d.

Hemptech "Cows and Couches" Fabric

When I visited your website, Bonvivant Design, I was immediately drawn to the fun

“cows and couches” pillows and was excited to discover that the fabric was your original

design.  I’m always talking to my readers about learning to draw inspiration from any and

everywhere.  You definitely epitomize that idea in the way you use your natural environ-

ment to inspire designs for both your interior products and your jewelry line… Can you 

share with us your process of moving from inspiration to an actual design?  Does this 

process change for you depending on the project (i.e. is it different for creating jewelry 

versus styling rooms versus fabric)? If so, how do you approach these different types of

 projects?

The reason I started (graphic/product) designing again was because it is my passion 

and I was missing it in my daily work. I am a creator, so whether this is 3d (interiors) or

 2d (graphic/product design), they both have their place in my world.  My predicament is 

that I have too many ideas!

From inspiration to actual design– there are two ways of going about this.  If I receive a 

brief then I stick to that. If it’s free range , I can bounce ideas around and try different 

things.

Designing for www.hemptech.co.nz has been fun as Lynne lets me run riot with New 

Zealand based themes. We simply started talking about it one day and the fact they are

an eco/sustainable New Zealand fabric manufacturer gave me the angle for ‘celebrating

 kiwi identity’. It’s a niche and it’s brilliant.

Drawing Inspiration from Nature

I have an affinity with New Zealand nature so that’s what I started off with.  I basically 

sketch on the computer using Adobe Illustrator. I also utilize what I may have brain-

stormed around with before.  For the Hemptech project, I started by drawing a con-

ventional sofa. I was thinking of an ad I’d seen that had a sofa sitting in a field of grass.  

New Zealanders have a great passion for living on their deck in summer.  Looking at 

the sofa on the screen it reminded me of a cow illustration I had done some months 

before. I opened the file, copied the cow into the sofa file and worked from there.

The zebra was a trial and error as I wanted to introduce an exotic element.  Most Kiwis

in their early 20s depart for what they call their big O.E. (Overseas Experience) or they 

will go in their 50s.  Many of my customers tell stories about Italy and France, but also 

about Africa.  Hence the zebra pattern implemented in the ‘Cows and Couches’ design.

My design work has foundation and it has reason, but a lot of it is playing around. One 

idea leads to something else, and I like a dose of humour in my work. Life doesn’t have

to be so serious. Why do we let it become like that? So my design process is a big jump

and skip in my brain. First I have the parameters, then the fluffing and playing, and then

the reality check to see if what I set out to do has been achieved.

Bird of Paradise Pendant - Bonvivant Designs

My jewellery work is again celebrating that New Zealand flavour. I also design 

fun things that I like for myself, for example an eccentric peacock based on a real life

one that friends in the Netherlands still have. The design process usually has me 

looking up wildlife pictures and information online, checking the anatomy, what 

characteristics it has. I aim to hone in on the specific elements that underline New 

Zealand based design. As my life is here, I don’t see the point of incorporating Dutch

elements, although I’m a huge fan of Droog design and Marcel Wanders.  They too 

possess whimsical and surprising elements. I love that. Bold and strong: great 

impact and massive wow factor. I guess I never was one for subtleties.

People are often hesitant to start creating living environments that they really love 

because they’re afraid they will make a mistake.  Have you ever started a project and 

felt it was headed in the wrong way?  How did you handle that challenge?  What 

advice would you give people to overcome this fear?

Yes I have started out on projects in my early days where due to lack of experience I 

had to muddle my way through. Of course I wasn’t very proud of that, but one has to 

work with what one can. Usually I would see later where I could have done better, but 

we always work with what we have available to us. So don’t beat yourself up! I think the 

interesting thing is that whatever you feel comfortable with, or what you like is a great 

starting point. Hold on to what you love. Don’t throw out important story pieces just 

because they clash with the latest trendy sofa. Something may not appeal to for 

example a friend of yours, but it’s confidence that makes it all work.

Seating Area designed by Mirjam Spronk

I suggest what really helps is taking magazines and simply cut out what you like: work

per room, so have a binder that contains tabs and sleeves in which you can insert pictures 

of what you like. From say 6-10 pages you can then deduce what jumps out and what 

describes your taste. You can make a list of what needs to be done in the room: do you 

really need to paint? Is it worth wallpapering? If you got very snazzy furniture or Art it may pay

 to forgo elaborate wallpaper altogether! Generally I would say: the walls are the least of 

your worries unless the existing walls can’t be cleaned or have ugly wallpaper: the key is 

to be aware of what draws the eye and work on that. Do you have a very busy carpet? 

Take it out, there might be a great floor underneath. Otherwise cover it with a plain coloured

 carpet, which is easier on the eyes.

Here in the States, we’ve really been suffering from the recession.  I imagine that this has 

probably touched you and your clients down in New Zealand as well… Would you share 

with us your top three tips for cutting costs while meeting your design goals?

1) Re-upholster. One of the biggest things I have discovered this year has been that 

re-upholstery jobs have shot through the roof!  If you are considering doing a recover, check

 whether your chair or sofa is worth salvaging.  It may be worth buying a quality piece that 

is newly made if it costs only a fraction more than a re-upholstery job.

2) Auctions!  I’m not sure if you have quirky auction places in the US but you sure have a 

few here in Dunedin.  At these auctions you can get lucky and pick up a few pieces (that you

decided on beforehand so you don’t get carried away!) If no auction rooms are available, try 

E-Bay. I would use auctions or E-Bay to find second hand drapes for bedrooms or studies 

for example. That will save you quite a bit. Also lamps are great to find on these sites, or 

even wallpaper for a great hallway.

3) Save before you buy! It makes sense to get a few quality pieces and work with what you
have already. Quality lasts and you will see the difference!  Make a plan to get a piece in say

6-12 months and put away a certain amount a week in a separate bank account that will go 

towards your interior. You’ll be surprised how small amounts per week add up over 6 

months!

Living Room designed by Mirjam Spronk

Final question… and it really relates back to the idea of people being afraid of making

mistakes in their homes.  I think a lot of people settle for “safe” looks in their homes 

because they don’t have confidence or trust in their own design eye.  People will buy 

matched sets from some retail store and live in homes that don’t exactly reflect their 

spirits because they don’t believe they can buy individual pieces that speak to them and 

actually pull a cohesive look together.  What advice would you give a person in regards to 

learning how to develop and trust their own sense of style and design?

I still remember seeing this old lady getting on the bus on my way to high school. She 

was wearing this shiny leather coat that was very trendy, a bright pink scarf and a cooky 

hat. Now, everyone in the bus was staring at her and there were some snorts from the 

young crowd, but everyone followed her later getting off the bus. Why? Because she had 

the guts to go bold.  It’s all about attitude. If you genuinely want to create a wonderful 

unique interior that is yours, then go with your instinct.

I will tell you an interior design secret that I discovered many years ago through hard work:

• if in doubt, whatever you do in a room, if you stick to a 3 colour rule you will 

have to  try very hard to go wrong.

For some reason the magical 3 brings harmony and it’s a great rule of thumb. If the sofa is

brown leather, the drapes are blue and the rug is plum, you can bring in orange vases for 

example. But not green as well.  That makes seating one colour (1), drape or rug as another

since blue and plum are in the same family (2), and accessories another colour (3). I’m 

counting table lamps etc as being part of the accessories. Now, if you have paintings or art 

work it would help that the 3 colours are in there or the largest part in there. Naturally this is 

an over simplified solution, but it is definitely harder to pull of a dazzling interior with more
colours then 4. It takes quite a bit of experience to get it right.

Bedroom styled by Mirjam Spronk

My other rule of thumb is group the ornaments and declutter.

I have seen numerous fireplaces with dotted bits n bobs on the mantel piece. There is 

a place for knick knacks, but I would not suggest having them scattered through out the 

house. Try to group them, either on one shelf or on a hall table in, for example, one 

dominant colour way. This creates peace and stability. Too many distractions on the eye 

creates un-ease. For the same reason de-cluttering is vital. A more zen like approach 

creates peace. Clarity in the home brings clearness in the mind they say and I have to 

agree. You can still have fun in a room and add zing, panache and vavoom, just try and 

keep it organised in some fashion so you can take in the room in one swoop and not 

hurt your eyeballs with too many distractions.

Dutch Design Inspired Animal Lamps

Dutch design: by Moooi design

Finally, have fun! Decorating or styling your home can provide tons of energy and 

satisfaction! Try not to do it all in one week or a month–good things take time and it’s quite

alright spreading your renovation out over a period of time.

*********

You can learn more about Mirjam by visiting her design site, Bonvivant Designs or by 

reading her blogMindpopsicles (which is a great place to find inspiration and positive mojo 

when you’re having a bad day!).  You can also follow Mirjam on Twitter.  I hope you’ll leave a

comment here to help me show our appreciation for Mirjam taking the time to share with us– 

and there’s an extra big THANK YOU to her from me for being so kind and understanding 

when this interview wasn’t published any where near the time I told her it would be!

’til next time, happy budget decorating!

xoxo – Shauntelle

Thanks everyone for making the time to visit Shauntelle's beautiful blog and Shauntelle for her time!

moooi

Dutch design company Moooi (which translates from Dutch to beautiful) has just opened their new store in London! From the website:


"The World of Moooi will be revealed to London under the creative direction of designer and Cofounder Marcel Wanders. The new canal side residence will be located at The Dock’s distinguished White Building, a Grade II listed stucco house dating back to the late 1900s. Joining Moooi in the 250m² ground floor space, is Dutch resin flooring specialist Senso, who will be marking this event with the international debut of a unique range of flooring designed by Marcel Wanders, with a print true to the style of Wanders’ ‘new classics’, giving the spectator a playful three-dimensional illusion.

The permanent showroom will house Moooi’s design icons in coexistence with the new products launched at the Salone del Mobile 2010 in Milan. The introductions include the new Monster chair by Marcel Wanders, the tenderness and grace of Nika Zupanc’s 5 O’ Clock table & chairs and the exotic elegance of the Emperor lamp by Chinese designers Neri & Hu – all seen for the first time in the UK. Amongst the iconic products on display will be the extraordinary Smoke collection by Maarten Baas, the inventive Brave New World lamp by the young British duo Fresh West, Skai table tops as an addition to Marcel Wanders’ successful Container Table collection and the soft glow of Raimond Puts’ LED lamp, last year’s star."


or simply put: isn't it awesome?

www.moooi.com

text from website: http://www.abitare.it/highlights/la-casa-bianca-di-moooi/

Milan designweek 2010

Working as I do in the interior design and furniture trade one cannot help but focus on what happens at the show in Milan. And guess what: it's on now! Marcel Wanders said on Facebook he's there and rearing to go.

sparkling chair'  by marcel wanders

troy chair'  by marcel wanders

Design star Marcel Wanders has created a huge range of new pieces which will launch at this year's Salone, including objects for Moooi, Magis, Cappellini, Flos, Poliform, XO, Skitsch, and Slide. Called 'United Crystal Woods', the whole collection will be on display in Milan in Via Tortona. More about how, what and the 3 year development in the vid below:





Naturally there are many other wondrous design companies representing themselves this week. One of them is:


Swedish design firm Form Us With Love will be hitting the Salone del Mobile this year and they're bringing their friends.

”Form Us With Friends is a concept designed to bring together our clients to present our latest collaborations. We are very hands-on and follow our products up until they reach the end user in the market. In the traditional sense, companies show off their designers and products, but we thought it would be fun to flip the script and do things the other way around,” said John, Petrus and Jonas from Form Us With Love.

Also: to keep on track what will be happening this week in Milan, visit Lucy's website TheDesignFiles for daily updates! She's a gem.


Source info on M. Wanders and Form us With Love: http://www.medesignmag.com/

Interior Styling III

After the house frontage (I) and entryway (II) we are today focusing on

The Living room.

The thing is that a lounge, or living room, takes a bit of work. Most people tend to fret about the seating, the carpet/flooring and possibly the drapes. Especially the drapes can bring up discussions as they are surprisingly personal.

Where to start?

a) overview: draw up a plan to scale. (Yes you heard me get the tape measure out ok)

b) review

• get a friend, neighbour or colleague to come in and quickly dot down what they notice about the room in an honest manner. (This may prove hard so ask someone that is allowed to hurt your feelings. Remember they're here to help you.)
• at the same time make a quick list about your own gripes and loves of the room. What have you wanted to do to it and why?
• Compare results

c) Think big: what feel/image would you like to create? How does this contrast with the existing scenario? Gather clippings from magazines to distinguish what you like.

d) Foremost: think practical: do you have kids? How many people in your household? Do you want that tv blaring while you have friends over? Is the kitchen close by? How 'easy maintenance' do you want the house to be? Do you have pets? Where is the scratching post to go if you have one? Where do the kids play? Is there access to the garden? Is there a deck outside? How about your privacy? You may be able to have sex on the couch and then again the retired couple next door might get offended. Lots to contemplate. Does the dog sleep here or in the wash house/garage? Yep, more to consider!

e) Flooring: we always start from the floor up, so: carpet, timber, tiles or other? Do your homework on benefits/maintenance and comfort.

Many New Zealanders love carpet whereas Europeans rip it out and love their timber floors. Having some rugs can be a happy medium. [Note: kiwis tend to take their shoes off at home walking barefoot or on socks so carpet makes more sense, Europeans tend to keep their shoes on so whatever flooring there is it will work. This is a taste and cultural choice.]

f) Walls: if you have kids, be aware of crayon drawings so wallpaper might be not so convenient unless your can be very strict (and still be surprised). Vinyl wallpapers could work.

What are the benefits of paint over wallpaper? With paint you can change a room quicker, (and paint over crayon) but wallpaper creates more of a statement. (Yes there is scrubable paint and wallpaper - yay) Personally I think wallpaper works well if your interior is more contemporary bland, but if the furniture and artworks are quite colorful and distinct then it makes perfect sense to stick to paint to balance. I think Designer Guild works only if you have more of a Zen approach to seating arrangements.

g) Now: drape. Golden rule: if it's NOT a hallway or bedroom we are working WITH the walls. Meaning: we pick on the colour of the wall and carry this through in the curtains. Why? This way the curtains do not visually brake up the walls but continue on which creates a calming effect and the room feels connected and 'incorporated'. Also the focus will now not be on the windows at night but on the interior, which I always think is a much better idea. [The vilest drapes I've seen are loud, cheap and have a gazillion colours. Please burn these as they break every rule in the sophisticated household. Really! Yes really.]

h) Now that we discussed the choice of flooring, walls and curtains we get to: furniture.

Again: what do you ACTUALLY require? What seating favs does the family have? What do you like? My husband for example likes recliners as so many men do. I think they are generally horrendous - big blobs and no design. [Funny; most interior designers feel this way, especially women!] In the end though it takes figuring out 'who will use what' and what size would fit in a room without clogging it up. I suggested an Eames chair to Nico with a footstool opposed to a 'big blob'. Also I am in favor of asking my employer to make a custom made stereo/player storage piece that will fit the wall opposed to Ikea.

How much furniture? This is where your scale plan comes in: cut out the size of the settee you are thinking of and check to see if there's space to move around. Do you need a coffee table? Maybe not. One side/lamp table may suffice or a coffee table with a nest tucked in the sides for when visitors arrive. Whichever way: you need to be able to walk around on your plan without bumping into anything quickly.

Corner units work in awkward areas and big rooms. I don't advise it if it takes up literally half the room. There are ways to work with smaller spaces. No coffee table maybe or one that changes into a dining table. Get creative. Big rooms: think what you need first and only THEN start filling in suggestions, not the other way round.

So! Buy what style you like and STOP MATCHING. The whole 'matchy thingy' has been done to death. Choose a settee/couch and different chairs, which is more interesting. And try not to make it look 'his and hers' either: choose well and choose design. Save and buy it over time if need be.

Tip: you can also use an ottoman as a coffee table or something else that is interesting compared to a square or rectangular box.

i) Lighting: we tend to forget this element yet it's vital in the living room. Get it right and the room feels warm and cozy, light and airy: whatever the flavor: create ambiance and personality. And please: don't use the centre ceiling light! That's a mistake, we only use a ceiling light when we get home in a daze on weekends and try to plunk the keys on the table when we're on the way to bathroom and bed. We do not use it for anything else. Just pretend you don't have any.

What to use: standing lamps, pendants and table lamps. Don't go completely nuts on trendy designs: let one light be a feature, let the rest work in as a soft background noise. Try different shapes and heights to see what effect they have. You can even use them as you would a standing art work.

Overall reminders:

think cohesive: designs that work like a charm are those that work together and do not fight over attention. Also I will let out an interior design secret here:

if you start with using only 3 colours for the whole room you will create balance, use four and you're in trouble as that is much harder to get right. There's a talent to bringing rooms together and in my styling days in Auckland I learned that whatever I did, if I stuck to the 3 colour rule it'd usually work. Tested and tried. Of course if you're going for a monotone that's different and typically done in bedrooms, not in living rooms as that is the cozy vibrant area.

Material choice: Leather over fabric? Both have advantages and disadvantages, some people say leather is easier to maintain: it depends on the quality and finish. Leather is like skin: it fades or cracks if not maintained! Fabric nowadays comes in UV resistant swatches that work extremely well for the downunder market. The more man-made generally the better wearing but look for the Martindale rub tests etc that will tell you a lot about how long it will wear. Also: Hemptech sells hemp and linen that will take an 8 out of 9 in the fading tests. Brilliant. Leather in winter can be cold, fabric is cozy.

Conclusion: use a plan and think before you buy. Do your homework. Go with what you like and play around with ideas.