Category: Artist Interviews

Do you buy thematically? 

Yes of course. The subject is always important. There are some figures and themes that are really hard to hang on the walls at home and live with. The works have to be light, bright and not really provocative. The ones that are, are usually hanged in my private space such as my office or bedroom, where people don’t really have access. 

Favorite exhibition you’ve seen in the last year? 

Unfortunately i haven’t been to any fairs this year, but I will for sure be in Seoul for Frieze and Kiaf which im sure will be really interesting. Last year, I was only able to attend Frieze London and Paris+ by Art Basel, both of whom were great. As a collector, I believe attending those fairs is always a plus: you get to discover new artists and galleries, meet up with collectors or art dealers and share some discoveries and information on the market, on who’s the next big shot etc…

What’s your thought process like when you’re incorporating art into a space?

This depends. If I am working with a piece that our clients already own I will build the design scheme for that room around the existing artwork. I will take inspiration from its colours and style and will create a cohesive and harmonious language that way. However, in my experience art is often selected towards the end of the project as it happens to be considered one of the finishing touches in the project. The process is similar to what I just mentioned but reverse. I will look for a piece that complements the look and feel of that particular room. I like to introduce a different tone in the room with artwork. I don’t like it when the artwork colours are matchy-matchy with the interior palette, to me that looks too forced and unnatural. I like to find a colour that complements the scheme but that is different. I start searching through galleries and artist with whom I have a working relationship and then I will hit Pinterest and Google.

How do you get an idea or feel for your client’s tastes and needs when choosing the artwork, furnishings, and accessories for a home?

To begin, we listen. We spend time getting to know our clients’ behaviour, their rituals and habits, from the books they read to how they like their coffee. Through these conversations, we gain a deep understanding of our clients’ idiosyncrasies. This is crucial in shaping not only the functional brief, but also an understanding of their own taste and aspirations. We then define a visual language and aesthetic that permeates every facet of the project. When designing a home, our focus is always on building a narrative that truly encapsulates the character of our client. We don’t believe in applying ‘concepts’ and strive to create an interior that feels authentic and timeless. We believe strongly in living with art and we explore how to make sense of the clients (former or future) collection within the domestic setting of a home, creating an experience that is cohesive and engaging, but also ‘liveable’. It is one thing admiring a painting in a museum, but another to wake up to it everyday.

Do you collect art or any kind of objects yourself? If you consider purchasing a piece, what kind of things do you look for?

Although I am highly opposed to clutter, my home has hardly any empty walls. People often think of their home as a sanctuary, but within it, you experience a wide array of emotions and the art on my walls certainly reflects that. The works all serve a purpose; some are calming and others provocative, which is why the placement is important and I move things around a lot. A collection, like an interior, has to live and breathe, and is constantly in flux. It is cyclical, as are the seasons and our lives, and that makes a space feel real and exciting. When buying art, I follow no hard rules and although provenance is a factor, I can tell instantly if something feels good and generally go with that. I never doubt my instinct.

What advice would you give to other collectors starting out? 

Always follow your instinct, study a lot. Read about the artists you connect with, support your favorite galleries, visit as many museums as you can and as often as you can. One of the best ways to experience art is to visit the auction houses prior their big sales, their previews are extraordinary and the quality is unbelievable. 

Do you collect thematically?

We don’t collect thematically. Art is such a broad world that we don’t believe in segmenting it. We collect what we like and what we believe in.

Favourite exhibition you’ve seen in the last year?

Lisa Yuskavage show with David Zwirner Gallery in Paris was fantastic. I have always admired her talent. One of the best female artists working today.

The Jean Michel Basquiat show at the Beyeler Foundation showing his Modena paintings for the first time ever was a great show to visit.

Richard Avedon with Gagosian in New York was a very special show celebrating what would have been the artist 100th birthday. 

Javier Calleja had a fantastic show in London with Almine Rech where he intervened a few walls with his characteristic style.

Andre Butzer show at the Thyssen museum in Madrid was a good show and a great way for the museum to continue its program showing contemporary artists.

What’s your thought process like when you’re incorporating art into a space? What about a work of art tends to draw you to it?

Within a project, art is an element like many others, in place to fulfill a physical, emotional or spatial functions. Comparing this to the world of comedy, I see the artwork as the running gag in our project, it is the singular element which comes at the end and ties the space together, whether by emphasizing or contradicting an aspect of the project, it gives the final touch for a total experience. The space dictates its needs, the client dictates the budget and we dictate the direction & usually the selection.

In our last project a handmade, asymmetric crystal chandelier, incorporating taxidermy of local Parisian birds by Sebasitan Errazuriz was the centerpiece for the residency’s foyer. It is a mix of classic, modern, nature, parisian & rebellious, it basically gives a glimpse of the whole concept as soon as you walk through the door. 

On another project we are looking to place what seems as an overscaled, polished copper pillow by Ben Storms as an entrance piece, fulfilling most of the functions the mirror gives at the house’s entrance but warped, thus letting visitors know they are in for an unusual experience.

What do you personally look for in artworks?

Generally speaking, for me life and work are inseparable, aesthetics is all I think about. It boils down to 3 elements: Mass, Scale and Detail. Any artwork that has a good balance of the above has got my attention! Some examples would be the works of Chuck Close, Ron Mueck, Tom Friedman to name a few more recent and affordable artists would be George Boorujy, Hugo Deverchere and in my realm of marble is Jacopo Cardillo, who’s something of a modern day, satirical Michaelangelo.

How do you get an idea or feel for your client’s tastes and needs when choosing the artwork, furnishings, and accessories for a home?

It has become an important part of the process to spend more time at the beginning of the design really stepping into a client’s world. There’s an old saying that a great architect or designer doesn’t give a client what they asked for, but rather what they wanted. It’s my job to be the conduit to the tangible expression of themselves, while still putting their lifestyle and aspirations top-of-mind. I do this by implementing a series of interviews and workshops that immerse them in the process, I don’t let it be a spectator sport! By getting better inputs, you’re guaranteed better, more aligned, outputs. Since I’ve implemented a deeper process of excavating the essence of a client or family, specifying the right pieces falls into place quite easily. There’s a clarity now; and the right option always rises to the top.

Do you collect art or any kind of objects yourself?

I have enjoyed beginning a collection. When I landed my first design client, the first thing I did was commission a painting by Tom Jean Webb, it was the whole wall of my living room! Now, my preference for oversized pieces gets me in trouble: I only have so many walls. I currently live with original work by Evan Whale, Michael Taylor, Martha Tuttle, Kesewa Aboah, Derrick Velasquez, The Heides, Agnes Martin, and Rachel Wolfson Smith. One of my favorites is two photographs in my entryway by Luis Barragan, my partner and I were married at his Casa Pedregal last year.

Are there any trends you’re finding in the interior design space this year?

Our homes have become central to our lives and there’s a new energy and optimism about the role of interiors at the moment. Looking ahead to autumn/winter 2023, expect to have some fun. Design directions are embracing vibrant tones in the form of playful colour pops and savannah sunsets. Certain design hallmarks from the past are also making a return: there’s a new-found interest in deco details, the charm of country house redux and the homespun simplicity of Americana, alongside the primitive shapes and authentic textures of studio ceramics, while comfort, wellbeing and relaxation will be at the forefront of our design decisions. September is an exciting time of year here as you can see all the new launches at Focus/23.

Can you tell us about what you look for in artworks? If you consider purchasing a piece, what kind of things do you look for? 

I approach it as a homemaker, choosing art that will complement the room and add an extra layer and dimension of interest. It has to appeal to all the senses, on every level. I always ask for an expert’s opinion, too.

Your best kept secret in design (that you’d be willing to share)

Considered the fifth wall; ceilings should not just be an afterthought. In fact, a ceiling can be a blank canvas for creativity and experimentation. It’s the new decorative frontier and at WOW!house we encouraged people to ‘look up’! Stylish alternatives to a plain painted finish included tenting, reflective silver cornices and even bespoke thatching.

Do you collect thematically – if so please share more!?

Unfortunately, yes. This was not planned but 90% of my collection is figurative, and mostly distorted faces. I must admit that escaping the reality through those faces is everything to me and I’m really a lover of that style. I have been looking at more and more abstract to be able to spot the different styles withing the style! I’ll get to that point of maturity one day, collecting is a long, long journey, not a sprint.

Favourite exhibition you’ve seen in the last year?

Probably the David Zwirner show of Lisa Yuskavage alongside with Georg Baselitz show at Ropac that was breathtaking.

How do you get an idea or feel for your client’s tastes and needs when choosing the artwork, furnishings, and accessories for a home?

We always first do some workshops with the clients. When we design a house although they go further than just a few hours of meeting. We go to their new home, but many times also their actual home to understand how they live and who they are. To find a style for a client we really need to know their lifestyle and know them personally. Once we met with the client, we propose a few images with a direction we could take and if the client likes that direction we start to develop the design. In the design itself we always propose a few furniture pieces and artworks. Afterwards we pick the final ones with the client.

Do you collect art or any kind of objects yourself?

As we design a lot of items by ourselves, our home is full of our own creations. There is a very heavy rotation as new pieces are created and we need to make space for the new ones. We like to collect some objects from other artists, but especially when there is a specific meaning behind it. The last few years some people that met us gifted us some of the objects we created. We love to collect them and give them a special place in our studio and house. 

Could you tell us a little bit about your furniture designs and your inspirations for the pieces? 

For my furniture I wanted to design something free floating and that would work as a centerpiece of the room. I want a space to exude cool – just this effortless, relaxed luxury. I’m using a lot of adjectives, but these are feelings I want my furniture to pull out of people hahaha. 

It’s too often that you walk into a space and that much of the furniture is up against the wall, there is this idea of formality that comes with that. It can feel like a waiting area at a smaller law firm. Obviously some spaces have their constraints, but where there is a will there’s a way. It’s important that you  really understand how to use the space in your room.  It just seems counterproductive when making a space feel more relaxed, I want a space to feel a bit more circular and communal. 

The collection is called Big Sur, whose organic shape is reminiscent of the area’s unique geography and emblematic of what I would define as the epitome of relaxed California cool. When I think of the time that I spend there I think of how beautiful and lush the environment is. It’s almost obscene how beautiful it is in the kindest way. I wanted the movement in my furniture to evoke the same feelings. 

What do you personally look for in artworks? You mention that “Great art is Key – bringing authenticity to a space”. 

While I often take an analytical approach for my clients I often buy art based on feeling or intuition, technique, and uniqueness. I’ll look at what I might have seen at a show or gallery and if I like it for some reason or another I then look at the technique. I’ve seen A LOT of Instagram art that I thought looked good and then you see it in person and there is no real technique to it, it just looks like paint by numbers. Not to knock Instagram, I do think it’s been a great platform for creatives to get discovered. I have several artist friends whose careers have taken off because someone important saw their work. It’s a great thing. 

In terms of uniqueness, my clients aren’t coming to me and wanting a Marilyn Monroe painting. 

Do you collect art or any kind of objects yourself?  How do you discover new artists?

I am a novice collector at this point and have started building a strong collection. I have a couple of prominent artists that I’ve wanted forever and then I have a lot emerging. With emerging artists it’s always great to see their growth over the years. I have a couple of pieces that I bought early on in their careers and It’s been exciting to see how those artists have progressed. I can’t wait to buy the next version of who they are. 

I’m a little spoiled at this point, I have a great network of friends and advisers in the art world at this point. I’ve been fortunate to find out about art and artists that are at the forefront.