When we first meet lovely Sylvia R. Beez work we couldn’t stop looking for answers. She as a unique style, and so fun! Well, we just had to made her an interview.
Here we leave you with the interview about this lovely and unique interior designer that made our day.
Thanks M.A.P interiors, specially to Sylvia for this lovely interview and pictures of their projects.
– What is your philosophy in the field of creation?
*1. The perception of an Interior is a holistic experience and it’s about the feeling it evokes and the overall atmosphere.
*2. Our interiors are:
Individualized
Livable
Comfortable
Creative
Fun
*3. Ultimately it’s all about the client!
– In interior design, how would you describe your style? What inspires you? How
do you create an interior design project, whether it is a commercial one or a
home?
My personal style is modern, but always warm and comfortable, with some rustic elements and collected objects from traveling around the world. What inspires me the most is traveling and the beauty of nature.
When I work with clients I try to find out their style and design aesthetics instead of imprinting my style on them. I work with people of different ethnicities coming from all over the world and also with different age groups like young trendy couples, families with children, as well as empty nesters and retirees, with very different tastes, visions and needs. I approach each project by asking a lot of questions and by listening, listening and listening. My former profession as a psychologist is very helpful in this process. If I manage to capture my client’s personality and soul in my design, then I feel that it’s a project well done.
– What are some of your most popular designs/projects? Tell us a bit about
some of your designs/projects and what you love about them. What’s your
favorite and why?
*Eclectic Ranch House:
This 1970 ranch house is located in San Juan Capistrano, CA, and was owned by an old lady who never remodeled. Everything was in original condition, and the interior was quite dark and gloomy with thick shag wall to wall carpets and dark beige faux finished walls.
My clients, the new owners, asked for a complete redo of the house, so my first challenge was to bring it into the 21st century. The kitchen and bathrooms were completely gutted and redesigned in a midcentury inspired modern design, a style that my clients love and that went well with the Ranch style architecture of the house. New windows and sky lights were added and the carpet had to go for polished concrete floors, combined with natural slate and wood look ceramic tiles, all very practical and durable with the
homeowners’ dogs.
My second challenge was to combine my clients’ furniture and other items with some classic modern pieces. He is a native of India and brought many interesting art objects and furniture with him from this country. She comes from Kentucky and inherited family antiques, art pieces, photographs and other horse items from the famous race rack, where her father, grandfather and grand-grand father used to work as veterinarians. They both also collected furniture and decorative items while traveling the world, so all that
had to be integrated in the overall design scheme. I loved to work on this project
because of the different challenges and because it was very close to my own
personal taste.
My clients and I were totally on the same page, which isn’t always the case. A lot of people seem to really like this project and mention it when hiring us.
*Kensington Lane:
This was a newly built Mediterranean style house in Los Angeles, owned by a young couple of Chinese origin. They liked the Mediterranean style for the outside, but asked for something more contemporary and edgy for the inside.
Starting out with a few all gray furniture pieces, they craved for more color, fun and creativity in their living space, in order to reflect their personalities and style.
I loved working on this project because it started as a blank slate, which is an all white house. The owners were very open minded and gave me a lot of creative freedom while putting trust in the deign process. They were thrilled with the result, which makes me happy in return, and it generated a lot of positive feedback from outside as well.
– How about product design? Tell us a bit about the objects you design?
*So far custom designed furniture pieces like sofas and chairs as well as bathroom vanities, office furniture and built-ins.
– What colors, textures and furniture pieces do you love the most?
*Furniture: All the modern classics: Bauhaus Modern, such as designs by Le Corbusier, Marcel Breuer and Mies Van der Rohe. Scandinavian Modern design by Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner and Poul Kjaerholm,and Midcentury Modern design by Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen and Isamu Noguchi. These designers were so ahead of their time and never get out of style,since their work is both timeless and beautiful. I’ve visited the Bauhaus archive in Berlin, Germany,last summer,and it was amazing!
*Colors: All grays with or without a tint of another color and colors taken from nature. Plus white and black which are always in style.
*Texture: The less color is used, the more texture is needed. I love to combine different textures. There are new tiles on the market with really interesting textures as well as countertops with textures, which is a brad new trend.
Kensington Lane project – Lounge
– In your opinion, which will be the top trends in interior design for 2014?
*Mid century modern inspired design
*sustainable/green materials
*wallpaper is back in very creative forms – definitely not your grandmother’s
wallpaper!
*copper metal combined with black
– Which essential tips can you give to a person who is redecorating his/her
house this spring?
You can’t go wrong when selecting pieces that you love or that have a special meaning to you. Your space should be an expression of who you are and what interests you have, so celebrate your individuality and don’t try to copy others.
Stick with what feels right and beautiful to you!
Kensington Lane project – Master Bedroom
– Is there anything exciting that you are working on at the moment that you can tell us about?
I’m working on a house in La Jolla, CA right now, with breathtaking ocean views. The owners, both scientist, collect modern art that is quite striking, so I keep the overall design clean lined and calm. The ocean views and art will make this space.
Kensington Lane project – Guest Bedroom
– Describe both yourself in three words.
Modern, Artistic, Playfull – that’s why I named my company M.A.P Interiors!
