Russians love to create luxurious spaces fromexpensive materials — the British prefer simple and strict interiors. Russians make repairs for centuries — the British move every five years. What other similarities and differences between us? Design is a philosophical discipline. This is the opinion of Elena Lazareva, creative director of WK School of Art and Design (London), a designer and teacher all in one. Since childhood, she was more interested in philosophy, and after finishing school, Elena entered the Philosophy Department of Moscow State University. Having received an education in Moscow, Elena Lazareva went to conquer the London peaks. Here she became a Master of Arts (MA Design Studies) at Central St. Martin's College. This city was not alien to Elena since childhood. She often came here, studied at the Clayesmore boarding school in the south of England. Russia and Great Britain became two native countries for Elena. She managed to get acquainted with the features of interior design of both Russians and Englishmen. Elena told us how exactly their views differ and how they are similar.
Elena Lazareva Creative Director WK Schoolof Art and Design (London), designer, teacher. In fact, design is a very philosophical discipline. The thing is that a good designer (it doesn’t even matter what exactly he creates) always has a good understanding of the general structure of human life. He knows how people live and how to create a better way of life for them through design. You need to be at least a little bit of a philosopher to become a good designer. And, of course, a psychologist, an artist, a manager. A designer tries on many professions!
Elena Lazareva —
- What is the difference between the English and Russian approach to interior design?
— - There is a richtradition of design and the profession of designer. The real fashion for design began here in the 60s of the 20th century: designer furniture stores and private design schools opened, and designers and decorators became popular. While in Russia the majority of the population lived in standard apartments with identical furniture, individualism and love for design, including Italian, flourished in England. —
- What are they - a British and Russian designer?
— — Contemporary British designeralways first of all draws up a brief, studies the needs and preferences of the client, considers the budget, features of the building, architectural style and many other factors. In Russia, you can often see how a designer first thinks about the style of the interior and how to beautifully arrange the furniture, but not about its functionality. This is a very inconsistent and wrong approach. A Russian designer often has poorly organized work with the client - everything happens spontaneously, including the discussion of ideas and conditions for working on the project. It turns out that a Russian designer often "works for the basket", trying to prove his competence to the client. An English designer also often has to, so to speak, "break the ice", but this is done professionally, through a good portfolio, a well-thought-out conversation with the client, discussion of the terms of implementation and consistent work on the project. —
- So, the Russians versus the English in interior design preferences…
— — In England it is customary to move ordo repairs every few years. That is why the Kelly Hoppen style is so popular here - minimalism, a combination of the old and the modern. An apartment in this style is easy to sell. In London, for example, there are many residential buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries, and the English are used to respecting the original architecture of buildings.
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- Are there any common features between them?
— — As for the common ground betweenRussian and English customers — it is the human desire for comfort and harmony, and each person has a very individual understanding of these things. Therefore, in any country, a designer must have a good understanding of what exactly the customer needs and how he sees his future interior.
— What do you need to do to achieve success in the field of design?
— — First of all, be able to communicate:how can you make a good design for a specific person if you don't understand them? And it's also very important to build trust - the customer may not always appreciate the designer's idea right away. You also need to have certain skills, such as creating a brief, concept board, explanatory drawings and sketches. You need to be able to draw and plan the interior correctly, by the way, pie charts help with this. The main thing is to constantly work on yourself, develop your own sense of style, be interested in trends and everything new. Curiosity is the main quality of a creative person! pinterest.com
