The sky is the limit for Victoria designer
Ines Hani picks up two North West Design Awards in Seattle competition
Q Describe your design company. What kind of projects do you do? A The Sky Is The Limit Design is a high- end residential home design firm in Victoria specializing in one- of- a- kind environments. We are serving a niche market: our projects span everything from Spanish Colonial, Mediterranean and Victorian Traditional to West Coaststyle-infused homes that incorporated timber construction and very organic shapes and materials to cutting edge contemporary designs.
Q You recently won two awards at the North West Design Competition in Seattle. Tell us what the awards were for and briefly describe the projects.
A The first place ( award) for the ‘ modest budget, big impact’ category was for a kitchen renovation for a bachelor. We employed a mix of ‘ faux wood’ texturized Italian laminates for the cabinetry and accentuated those with stainless steel detailing. It became a very manly space, but with applied balance to make a future female companion feel comfortable. The first place for ‘ best individual room: contemporary’ was a Great Room makeover that turned three rooms and an endless hallway into one well proportioned space. Structural posts of the former load bearing hallway partition were invisibly incorporated into a high gloss white feature cabinet for sports coat storage and a red wine coloured art niche. The bespoke cabinetry continues in charcoal and turns into a serving bar and tall storage at the kitchen.
Q What is your jumping- off point for creating a design?
A A design is always and foremost driven by the personality and cultural background of the client, their respective needs at this point in time and the foreseeable future. Many of my clients have an artistic element to them, either by being active artists themselves, or simply by collecting and appreciating art, a tactile and sensual environment, and looking for self expression Other highly important factors are the respect given to architectural structure as well as the natural setting and sights.
Q How did you get into designing? A Sitting as a four year old on the toilet of my little bathroom and being upset at the irregularity and inconsistency of the tile pattern. But seriously — I never considered myself artistic enough to be a designer. It took a while to accept the design genius within me. I started with a career in theatre design ( first costumes, which kind of naturally led into set design) after high school, and continued with the equivalent of a MA in Interior Architecture from a University in my native Germany
Q What is the colour you incorporate the most in any design?
A On a professional level I do not have a favourite colour. I am so blessed with the opportunity to create a very reduced black and white palette on one project, just to switch to intense jewel tones on the next, and then work with all neutral earth tones on the third. If you would ask me what colour speaks the most to my own soul, it would be royal blue.
Q What is your favourite contemporary trend?
A I am very excited to see where 3D printing is going — the intricacies of details that can be created are astounding! I was lucky enough to have been able to use light fixtures from Belgium that were inspired to look like starfish and sea anemones. Also the three- dimensional woodcarving for panelling, cabinetry and doors ... Q What design trend is definitely passé?
A Seeing the resurgence of those psychedelic ’ 70s patterns makes me doubt deeply that there is such a thing as something ever being passé.
Q Most people think designers are out of their reach. What’s your advice on how to budget a designer into their project?
A It depends very much on the scope of the project. Decorating advice is sometimes a service offered by the staff designers of furniture stores, so it’s worth while checking that out. When it comes to structural changes and new construction it is always worth while getting input from a capable designer who can give advice on spatial organization. That might be four to eight hours of work for an initial exploration but can result in improvements regarding flow, storage, sight lines etc. Architects and builders have different priorities in the planning process, and a designer who is worth his her salt can add monetary value already in that crucial stage.
Another option for a tight budget is to book a consultation to discuss finishes and materials. Editing through choices prepared by the homeowner, and possibly adding some suggestions of their own, a designer can step you through the complex process of fine tuning colours, textures and pattern to help you express and enhance your personal style.