INTERVIEW

AS TOLD BY

'LANDING CONTEMPORARY ART' GALLERY

• ART CURATING • SPACE AND HUMAN CONNECTOR • ARTIST • FEMALE ENTERPRENEUR • MULTIDISCIPLINARY DESIGNER • STORY-TELLER •

Founder of a multidisciplinary design studio misch_MISCH, mischa sedova talks to Kristie Landing, founder of Landing Contemporary Art Platform on what inspires her design decisions and what it is like being an artist as well as a designer. Mischa also shares some of her interior tips for renovation and decoration projects including art purchasing and hanging pieces.

YOU’RE AN ARTIST AND ALSO AN INTERIOR ARCHITECT AND DESIGNER. HOW HAS YOUR CAREER TRAJECTORY AND CREATIVE PROCESS EVOLVED TO WHERE IT IS NOW? IS THE CREATIVE FREEDOM SIMILAR TO BOTH?

In a sense an interior architect/ designer is an artist of interiors. As cliche as it sounds, from an early age I was very inquisitive and explorative of my surroundings. I would mould creations from materials from Mother Nature. This has shaped my spatial awareness, my curiosity for materials, my style, my interpretations, and my ways of seeing.

My creative process is a juxtaposition of so many different passions and loves that I have compiled from an early age. I like B&W movies from a range of eras [especially the 1920’s], materiality, flea markets and art houses, derelict buildings, graphic design [introduced by my grandmother who was a librarian], by grand-grandfather’s signed books and my curiosity in fashion, architectural symmetry, theatricality, odd texture.

Both require a level of risk-taking. I intend to make human connections through spaces and art; this is why I consider myself more as a #humanspaceconnector and a creator of experiences. Ultimately, I’m very focused on the power of storytelling.

In terms of creative expression, both design and art-making offer freedom and opportunities to work with a broad range of clients. The main difference is that designing interiors comes with responsibilities and is restricted in terms of functionality. In art-making there is not as much hand-holding as with designing for residential use. That said, I enjoy both processes equally and immensely.

HAVE YOU DEVELOPED YOUR OWN PERSONAL DESIGN PHILOSOPHY?

Each design has the same core philosophy: a thoughtful and meaningful design delivery with the singular aim to expand the daily lives of home owners and other users of space.
My style is constantly evolving as I gain knowledge about different techniques and uses for materials.

And as I constantly develop my design curiosity to solve problems, I become more confident in taking design risks. I’m not afraid to go backwards in order to move forwards during the design process.

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT TRENDS YOU ARE LOVING?

The ‘off-trend is on-trend’. Off with the over-repeated design schemes and on with the one-off unique designs that reflect you as a person and are an extension of your own unique self-brand. You can’t copy that.

The appreciation for craftsmanship and bespoke made art is a trend I relate to. Being courageous with yourself, which is reflected in the confident mixology of the contemporary with the traditional as well and colours with textures and patterns.

ARE THERE ANY DESIGN MISTAKES YOU WOULD RECOMMEND TO AVOID?

Falling a victim to new trends. Pushing all the furniture up against a wall with the belief that this will create more space – I am sorry to be a dream-crusher but it won’t. That is why I am a fan of mixology & layering in design as it creates optical illusions and spatial separations.

Don’t buy all your furniture from one place. Don’t be afraid of breaking the rules instead of settling for the safe option.

We encourage you to be bold and adventurous with your choice of materials and textures and mixing art and furniture pieces you’d never thought possible. But, we would never push you to the point where any changes to your space are too uncomfortable.

HOW DO YOU CREATE BALANCE IN SPACE?

By striving for perfection, as well depicted by ANTONIE DE SAINT-EXUPERY says:

“PERFECTION IS ATTAINED WHEN THERE IS NO LONGER ANYTHING TO ADD, BUT WHEN THERE IS NO LONGER ANYTHING TO TAKE AWAY”

WHAT MAKES WELL DESIGNED ROOM?

Each project and client’s brief is unique and it is impossible to pinpoint it exactly. At misch_MISCH though all have one in common:

’WE ARE BRUTALLY HONEST & TOTALLY DEDICATED TO FIND THE RIGHT SOLUTION UNIQUE TO YOU AND YOUR PROJECT’

We are driven by the end-use and experience; as opposed to being hung up on rules like where the rug should be or how big should the table should be. It all starts from what the end-user wants to gain. How do you want to feel? The key part of my work is to be a great listener and in tune with others.
A well designed room is a perfect mix of tension and drama, the functionality with aesthetics and the emotion with the story it is telling.

WHERE DO YOU SEE FUTURE DESIGN STYLES?

Off-trend will be in. Less of tiresomely seeing the same styles over and over again. It will be about ‘uber-unique’ and seeing highly crafted, unusual materials meticulously featured in furnishings and architecture. By uniqueness we mean the reflection of you, your individuality, as an extension of your personal brand and no-one else’s story.

More weight will be given to what truly makes you happy as opposed to what you see in magazines or on social media. There will always be a market for people who want something that isn’t seen everywhere. In recent years we have seen the uprise of the appreciation for one-off work and

craftsmanship, that is set to continue.

Colours will become the new ‘neutrals’. We’ll be seeing more patterns, colours, mixology and layering on everything.

We must not forget that COV-19 will shake the way we look at our homes. We will view them with much more appreciation and be more aware of the security and protection they provide us. With the current pattern of homeowner wanting to get more out of their homes, having a home office will be a ‘new’ must. That will become a good selling point just as like the ground floor WC has now.

WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS ON USING LARGE ARTWORK IN THE INTERIOR?

Be prepared that it is going to be a statement and will ultimately unify your interiors. Have fun with it & don’t be afraid.

Experiment with its placement or hanging, there is no right or wrong. Play with levels. Just like every piece on your wall doesn’t have to be an image or painting, every part of your gallery doesn’t have to be on your wall. Lean them against the wall, stand them onto a minimal strip.

Be mindful of the framing, mix and match until you feel they’re visually balanced. However, you may not always be able to move pieces within the room; this is where we prepare CAD elevations/ room renders on behalf of our clients that they have found helpful with their decision making.

DO YOU HAVE TIPS ON USING CONTEMPORARY ART WITHIN A TRADITIONAL HOME?

I say yes YES, go for it & be encouraged! Although for some this may feel like stepping outside their comfort zone; blending charming home with new pieces into cohesive art wall will invigorate the character of your room with the new blend of colours and textures.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

It comes from being fully aware of the surroundings and all beauty. Even the smallest things matter in everyday walks of life. They can spark an idea or hold a key to answering the design solution to a current project.

Inspiration comes from everywhere and can hit you at any time. That is why it is so important to be present and in tune with all you do.

I am truly inspired by everything: Mother Nature [especially light and shadows], architecture, textures and patterns in fashion; and art [past and present]. From the world’s ever-growing library of art books and specialist materials. I love collecting out of print books and magazines; unique objects and artefacts, new and old. And then there’s the collaborative process of working with different artisans and artists.

Some of my favourite artists and designers are Mies van Der Rohe the pioneer of ‘Less is more’ & ground-breaking for his

time, Le Corbusier a pioneer of modern architecture, who mastered combining the functionality with sculptural geometric forms into open efficient spaces. Architect and interior designer Eileen Grey with her modernist furniture inspired by Japanese lacquer artist Seizo Sugawara and her exquisite detailing. Carlo Scarpa with his use of unconventional forms in unexpected context; Christo and Jeanne-Claude for their environmental work; Richard Sera for his breath-gasping large scale installations; Ettore Sottsass, who was an absolute genius when it came to the colourful broad strokes in sculpture and product design. Judy Chicago for her provocative paintings; Tamara de Lempicka for her distinctive exaggeration of chic figural paintings, volume and space simplified into tubular & crystalline forms.

In the fashion realm, I get drawn to a mixology of old and new; the richness of dynamic patters, colours and textures with clean, classic, and tomboy versus feminine cuts.

If you have enjoyed this interview and found it helpful, please let us know in the comments below. Equally, we would love to hear from you if you’d like help with any art curation or art buying for your home or another project. Drop us an email or directly WhatsAPP mischa, the principal director and founder

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Edited by Julia Nelson