If you didn’t have a chance to check out my feature of Karin Draaijer’s masterful interiors – click here. Today we are fortunate enough to hear directly from Karin about how she creates her magical and mysterious spaces.
Karin Draaijer
I've had many of you tell me how much you connected with Karin's work and I feel honored that she has shared glimpses of her design story with Tile Envy. Her answers were frank, and reveal an artist whose convictions are as strong as the impressions her designs can leave.
If you're like me and love melting into photos of her spaces- she has sent us a special treat of her tile work!! What a great way to start a holiday weekend- enjoy...
INTERVIEW
You are from Belgium which has been boasting a who’s who of the best in design. Can you tell us about that and what you most appreciate about that history?
I can not tell you anything about it because it does not particularly interest me why and if we are hot at the moment. I am not keen on the so called ‘hype’ of the moment because I strongly believe that if you get ‘hot’ there is a potential danger that you think you need to stay ‘hot’ and that means that you are no longer free to connect to only yourself and the project your dealing with in an intuitive and open source way. I try to never compromise in my work and always go for the pureness of real quality that has the ability to connect the interior to the people who live in it.
Can you tell us more about your own design history?
It follows the trace of my life history… it was a natural step after the various things I have worked and dealt with in my life….from being an assistant photographer…..(and learning about light and seeing all the little details…..and how to deal with space)….to becoming a fashion and interior stylist for magazines……working and living in Chianti (Italy) for three years and feeling the importance of culture and natural resources from the earth)…..having a riding school in Holland and dealing with natural Horsemanship and in those years learning about myself from the horses and what I stand for…..and after that working for several years with an antique dealer and again I found a master who was willing to teach me all about the history of furniture and design……and then I slowly started with my interior projects.
When I first saw your work, it was your color palette that swept me away first. What inspires your color vision?
Everything is color….and for that I only have to see what it is and [how it is] already showing me what it needs..
What would surprise us about your design inspirations?
That my clients have to trust me and be prepared that they will not know where I am going to until the project is finished….so no moodboards….3-d drawings or what so ever.
What are your other art influences – music, movies?
Also here there is only the same answer for me….the World, Life, People and what it all brings…..is my inspiration.
Do you have plans for any new turns in your design path?
Yes…..I am currently working in collaboration with an artist in which we research what is quality and [what] are their rules……together we want to create and design things that are so beautiful that it will leave traces of love for the material world we live in.
What are the top 10 things you can’t live without? (Sorry I love when designers share this information)
Only one thing….I can not live without my two men….all the rest is the stuff that my life is made of..
Lastly, and most importantly, can you share some of your own tile envy? Any particular tiles, or types of tiles?
I like to work with tadelakt…and therefore I found the handmade tiles from Morocco…..I love their colors and the depth in it……
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