Good design is little design. The author’s view on interior design by Yulia Eliseeva.

What is modern interior design? Does this apply to style? No, this is not a style, this approach to design. XXI century is the time of style-less design, when the contemporary interiors are created at the reception, the bright image, the idea, which, in turn, stems from the brief and most of the architectural environment. Whether, for example, high-tech modern style? No. This architectural style emerged in Britain already in the 70-ies.

I am a proponent of contextual design and fully share the ideas of architects-functionalists and modernists of the 20th century that the interior of the house should not contradict the exterior of the house, and the house itself must be organically inscribed in the context of the surrounding landscape.

My goal is to create ergonomic, holistic, coherent interior, where the idea develops from room to room, and items subject to a single whole and rhyme. I strive for clarity of ideas and the preservation of the purity of reception.

I love the color and always use it in their interiors, like modern forms, materials, art and willing to experiment. I hate beige and never used. My base colors are grey and white.

Contrast is a fundamental acceptance of my approach. The contrast of colours, contrast of light and shadow, the contrast of warm and cold. In our soft gomogenizirovannykh climate artificially introduced contrast is a necessary condition for a well-read and comfortable interior.

I am inspired by Japanese architects. I admire the way with minimal visual means, they can create spectacular interior. Concrete, glass, wood — the ultimate minimalist, the almost complete absence of furniture, simplicity is on the verge of asceticism and a minimum of decoration, simplicity and naturalness. All of this can be seen restrained, strict, austere beauty, and the Japanese style — is full of philosophical meaning, it is both simple and harmonious as nature itself. So what’s the point of this philosophy? In the contemplation of the solar light, in observing how it changes during the day. And this is the main decoration in the interior. But still in Japanese interiors I don’t have enough color.

I completely agree with Lebedev: “Design is not necessary to discuss, it is a solution to the problem. You can discuss only one thing: the problem is solved or not.”

The more complex and decorative material, the easier should be the form. The shorter “box” interior, the more creative can be furnished, and vice versa the more creative “box”, the more laconic should be the shape and color of the furniture.

You can’t just take and just to change something in the interior, leaving everything else unchanged. Any change brings with it a wave of other changes, because a holistic, coherent interior idea develops from room to room, and parts rhyme with each other. So the rhyme will have to pick up others. The designer is your friend and he will help find a replacement if for some reason the original version doesn’t suit you.

My favorite architects and designers: gio Ponti and Carlo Scarpa.

Design is expensive. The design is easy to kill the wrong materials and the wrong forms of furniture be tempted to economize.

I am confident that the finished interior should be the same as on the visualization. If not, then what is the point to do it? The interior is built on lines, planes, textures, proportions, colors, and all this must be linked at the stage of visualization to determine the dosage. The interior can “kill” the wrong shape of table legs or too massive sofa. Creating interior in 3D, I only use existing materials and furniture, I know where to buy them and how much they cost, so you don’t have to choose like that really don’t fit.

A designer is the producer of your interior, a professional, whose area of expertise you buy because do not possess. The designer need only select for the portfolio, making sure that you share the same values, and your tastes are the same. The work will be long and close, so you should be nice to each other as people. Word of mouth is a relic of the past. Looking for your man, but if found — trust.

Today, the designer chooses a customer and the customer designer.