"10 Questions to an Interior Designer" is a series of short talks inspired by the series "10 Questions to...". This time our attention is turned to interior designers. In today's episode, Olimpia Ajakaiye talks about her approach to design.
Olimpia Ajakaiye - Graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow, Faculty of Interior Design, with a specialization in furniture design. Her graduation thesis, a collection of furniture inspired by organic forms, received a prestigious award — the Gold Medal of the Rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow and the Creative Scholarship of the City of Cracow. She also has pedagogical qualifications thanks to her graduation from the Pedagogical Study. Her works have been selected by the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency to represent Polish design in Berlin, Hamburg, Helsinki, Geneva and Madrid. She worked with the design company Artefe, where she was in charge of creating concepts for new products, analyzing trends, promoting the brand, as well as supervising the work of designers. She has been professionally involved in the media for more than 10 years. She has worked for CANAL+, TVN and TVP 2, among others, and currently runs a Youtube channel about architecture called "Show room."
1. For me, home is...
A place where the people I love are and where I feel safe.
2. The key to a successful interior design is....
There is no single key to the interiors I design, because with each one the inspiration is different. Just like the needs of the investors I work for are different. Talking with architects whose projects I show on my "Show room" program on my YouTube channel, I noticed that the creators are inspired by completely different things. For one, the key to a project will be nature, for another the love of some artist, painter, sculptor or architect such as Antonio Gaudi, as was the case with the beautiful interiors designed by Iwona Trendowska. On the other hand, for another respected architect Boguslaw Barnaś, the key to designing the most beautiful house in the world, which is Małopolska Chata Podcieniowa, the inspiration was Polish wooden arcaded architecture. The result of his work can be seen in Episode 3 of my program.
3. I look for inspiration in....
My greatest passion is designing utilitarian things: furniture, lamps, jewelry. The inspiration for my collection of furniture was the construction of insects and specifically the Lucanus cervus. On the other hand, the inspiration for the realization of lamps was satellites. I was provoked to create a system by accidentally found scientific information about nanosatellites. My favorite project is the „MOASIS” spice set, for the creation of which I was inspired by the story of the mysterious stone heads of the Easter Islands.
4. In cooperation with an investor, the most important thing is....
Mutual trust.
5. My favorite design style is....
I don't have one, because I like interiors of different styles and try to be open to investors' suggestions. I try to move with the times, so I don't get attached to any style.
6. The most valuable item in my home is...
A piece of furniture I designed called „SKARABEUS”, into which I put a lot of heart and work. It has sentimental value for me.
7. The most common mistake made when decorating interiors yourself is....
Unfortunately, there are many such mistakes. That's why I always suggest consulting an interior designer, which, contrary to appearances, can save you from additional expenses and make our interior not only beautiful, but also functional. The most common mistakes are:
- poorly selected lighting
- unconsidered function of designed interiors
- being guided only by fashion and not by what is really close to us and consistent with our personality
8. My favorite material is....
I like natural, warm, friendly materials such as wood and stone.
9. A trend I wish would pass away already is....
I think the one farthest from my heart is glamour.
10. Someday I would like to live in....
By the sea. I love the water and the sun.
