Q&A with Natalia Miyar

I opened my own atelier in order to have the autonomy to promote the design values that I see are most important – individuality and contextual design. I believe that creativity and personality should be at the centre of everything we do. I encourage collaborations with my team and makers to create projects of unique identity. Working for myself allows me the freedom to experiment and establish a unique design philosophy that subtly underpins all projects, rather than an obvious ‘house style’.

For me, great design is contextual and has a strong sense of place. By always following that premise, each project has an individual narrative and ultimately fulfils the client’s brief rather than a company agenda. It is infinitely more interesting to have a design challenge and work with different ideas as opposed to prescribing a template design aesthetic. In doing so, I am constantly exposed to different mindsets and concepts that surprise and intrigue me. A home is a place to showcase a personal narrative and should reinforce the owner’s personality. We, therefore, champion spaces and styles that express individuality. 

Although I embrace my client’s taste and style when designing a project, my own vision and passion remains at the heart of every project. An obsession with detailing – from contrasting textures, materials and colour – is a common thread in all of my work. We design many one-of-a-kind pieces for our projects and they often have three or four distinct textures. I like playing with texture to create interest.

We have recently completed two large-scale private homes in London. In the works now are a few homes in London, and property in Spain and another in Miami. When working with private clients in different locations, you are exposed to different ideas, colour combinations and aesthetics. I like the variety – it keeps me on my toes – and I’m inspired by other people’s vision, culture and way of life. 

I have never struggled to find inspiration. I am constantly looking and finding it – I think only cynics lack inspiration. The worlds of art, music, fashion and design are inspiration treasure troves. Nature has always been an important influence on my work and continues to inform the concepts and palettes of my projects. I have been fortunate to live in some of the world’s most beautiful places – in Mexico I lived amongst incredible earth and stone tones and vibrant and playful colour combinations. In Miami, I gravitate to the outdoors as I love the bright blue shades of sea and sky and the bold, lush green of tropical plants. I have designed many rooms with a play on blue and green! In England, I love the countryside greens and the stone and stucco of the vernacular architecture. 

My background in art history and architecture is the anchor of my work. Art history was fascinating to study. You learn so much about a time and place through art – it is the tangible expression of cultural narrative and aspiration. I think that’s why I believe the homes I design should be an individual expression of my client’s life. My practice of architecture taught me about context, scale and materiality. It also taught me the rigours of drawing and precision in the design process. Construction mistakes are expensive to fix so I am methodical about the process of design management and implementation at our atelier. 

The list is so varied because I draw inspiration from different sources for different aspects of my work. I admire the variety of context and references of Maison Jansen;  Peter Marino’s detailing is inspiring, as is his weaving together of art and interiors; Francois Catroux is a masterful interpreter of historical references in a contemporary way; and Jacques Grange’s work is always natural and unique. 

I have great aspirations and am lucky to have a great team who make the atelier a real conduit for creativity. I would love to see the interiors industry embrace contemporary international influences in a fresh and vibrant way to create truly unique British interiors of today. I think this would help steer away from typical manicured and stale interiors we see too often. 

I strongly believe in women helping each other succeed. It is hard to juggle the practical demands of a woman’s daily life but also our hopes and aspirations. I’d like to lead my atelier in a way that gives women the ability to work and enjoy their work at different stages of life. 

I’m excited to see many of the projects we have been designing come to life. I spent the first year of my business laying the foundations for a well-run studio to provide a foundation for our creative work. I hope that will give me more time to develop the business. I am sure I will see a new set of challenges. Of course, high on the list is my Miami outpost which is a goal for 2017, not least because I love sunshine.