HomeDesignEmpowered: 4 design resolutions

Empowered: 4 design resolutions

joanne molina21 | 01 | 2019

This year we caught up with former Maison & Objet Designer of the Year Eugeni Quitllet. We asked the super creative and poetic Catalan designer for his his thoughts as he presented his award-winning SOUL chair at IMM Cologne. He says: 'For 2019, it's important to remember that the Futur-e* is an optimistic state of mind; a projection of our best dreams. To change the world and create a better one we need unlimited creativity - and creativity is linked to the freedom of the artist. Stay free to create the Futur-e*'. - EQ* Photo: SOUL Chair by Eugeni Quitllet for Pedrali pedrali.it/en

Barry Richards, Principal and Studio Leader, Rockwell Group, spoke about how we should try and have a greater understanding of how our psychic spaces influence the creation of our environments. 'It’s critical to never underestimate your intuition, memories and imagination. This provides a fresh perspective and point of view that is entirely your own. For example, our new Dreams Collection is inspired by nature, but filtered by dreams and the subconscious. The patterns reflect a range of textures and materials, creating a unique mood and atmosphere in any space'. Photo: The Raindrop sheer from the new Dreams collection by David Rockwell for Jim Thompson. jimthompsonfabrics.com rockwellgroup.com

Top Parisian designer Sarah Lavoine reminded us of the power and beauty of colour - as well as the power of saying goodbye to your fears. She suggests: 'Don’t be afraid to have fun with bold colors. Mixing and matching colors that illuminate with darker hues of strong and present colors, such as blues and teals, make for a cozy environment'. Her new winter accessories and furnishings collection and stunning new paint collection are now available. maisonsarahlavoine.com

Head Juror of the id Design Awards and internationally renowned designer and architect Marco Piva offered exceptional advice- per always: 'If I had to define with a word what 2019 will be, I would say "a brave year", complex and challenging even more than the previous ones! A new trend of interiors and furnishings, a strong return of colour, after years in which it was no longer present or otherwise limited at some ranges, always based on neutral tones. We are witnessing a more and more important attention and a return to colour, both in the fixed parts of the furnishings and in the accessories. It's' return recalls some very stimulating periods from the point of view of interior and furnishing.More and more, our projects will take inspiration from local traditions and lifestyle, and combie elements of the local context with contemporary ones, turning each project into absolutely unique and innovative creations with a perfect balance between functionality and aesthetic'. Photo: One of Piva's latest projects is The Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel. studiomarcopiva.com

There’s no shortage of design advice. But good advice? It’s always in demand. In the first part of our series we asked four of our favourite international designers – Eugeni Quitllet, Sarah Lavoine, Marco Piva, and Barry Richards – to reflect on the design world and the world-at-large and offer meaningful advice that will give us tools to make our inner worlds places where we can envision and enact the lives we want to live in the new year. Whether it’s a the importance of creativity, understanding colour, texture or even embracing furnishings designed with environmentally-conscious materials, these designers are thinking and designing for our promising future. Want more? Stay tuned for doses of design advice from Dubai’s top designers… – Joanne Molina