To such an extent that they have established a manufacturing unit, producing unique furniture and interior details to fit their exquisite design projects. Founded in 2003 by architect Lyuba Dobreva and engineer Gergin Aleksandrov, Lago Design started as an architectural studio for public and residential spaces interior design. Later on, its activities extended to other architectural fields – detached houses design, planning and execution of wooden facades, supplied by the Slovenian factory M Sora, and furniture and interior details production. The founders of the studio share more about the passion to create timelessness and the philosophy of “Haute culture“.
– What does it mean to create “Haute culture” interiors?
The term “Haute couture” is borrowed from the French term for haute couture, which is the creation of first-class bespoke fashion, created with great attention to detail and time-consuming hand techniques. And if this term refers specifically and exclusively to the field of fashion, “Haute culture” has an all-encompassing meaning for our entire lives in the realm of culture, the intangible, and the timeless.
For us, the whole process of creating “Haute culture” in interiors means being provoked by all kinds of solutions that not only meet specific functional requirements but also have an impact as a living environment, which provides a sense of timelessness.
The separate elements of the interior must have an overall effect in order to leave room for something unexpected, something special, and something strictly individual that will actually add a real sentimental value.
The idea that the environment we inhabit determines the formation of consciousness makes the role of architects and artists in design important. Of course, to the extent where we create interiors that provoke feelings and emotions not typical for our everyday lives.
We try to create a sense of unique individuality that adds value different from the material one. An emotion that can’t be described, but only felt, something keeping constant the levels of adrenaline. It is not a thing that ends, but a feeling you want to experience every day in an unparalleled and distinct manner.
– What is your mission as artists and creators?
Our mission is modest, but at the same time very important for us, because we have to oppose mediocrity on a daily basis. The ready-made solutions for everything are now all around and the search and finding of individual ones is really a personal, inner need and for us, this is extremely important. So we are trying to create things that are timeless, that nobody wants to part with and nobody wants to throw away, and at the same time we are making a small contribution to nature.
– Do you follow modern tendencies or do you rely on classical concepts and your individual inner feeling?
“Nothing is so dangerous as being too modern; one is apt to grow old fashioned quite suddenly“, said Oscar Wilde.
Following a certain style in interior and being limited to stick to it is contrary to the individual approach in design. The main purpose and significance of the valuable architecture is its timelessness. Style is subjective and strictly individual, as are the factos forming it – such as people, space, environment, sense of balance, and harmony.
– What makes Lago Design’s interiors unique?
The individual approach to design, the lack of constraints, and our never-ending search for new possibilities for the specific space until we have found the best solution. We “question” every element of the interior and have the great advantage of being able to influence every last detail in its realisation thanks to our own furniture and element manufactory. We can take risks and seek the absolute limit of every form and material.
– You find the architectural approach in design essentially significant. Why is it so important?
As architect Louis Sullivan said, “form follows function“. The human skeleton is key to the body and the whole figure and looks of a person depend on it. The design of a dysfunctional space risks multiplying the mistake, therefore the initial architectural predesign is crucial. This would be the foundation, on which the subsequent upgrade would be built. The overall effect and feel of the space depend on it because even the best details and elements lose their value when put in the wrong place. Interiors cannot exist in isolation and are always subordinate to a specific individual function. This is what makes them unique.
– What should our living environment be like in order to bring us inspiration?
We can definitely say what it shouldn’t be like. And it should not be a “storage space” for people, belongings, and objects. It should have a value beyond the material because “beautiful” and “ugly” are relative categories and the harmony of a space is connected to the process of its creation. Inspiration lurks around each corner and people can feel the unique touch, even though they, just as us, can’t always explain it.
– You say that “light is the biggest luxury of a home”. What is its role in the overall look of a premise?
In nature, the sun is the most important thing for the existence of all creatures and living organisms, and man is no exception to this rule. The availability of natural light in a space is one of the most vital and valuable factors, and that is why the guiding principle in our design approach is to ensure its maximum presence in every part of the space.
– Can any space be turned into a piece of art?
Any stone can be turned into a sculpture and any canvas into an exciting painting, as long as there is an artist motivated and persistent enough to do it. Setting restrictions and frames related to size, type, materials, and location is extremely damaging to any artist and blocks their development. Precious time can be lost waiting for the “right” moment to arrive.
– What is the most complex project you have realised?
Each project is complex before we give it a form that seems to others so natural as if the solution had been visibly simple. In every project there are mutually exclusive factors that constrain us, there are objective or subjective reasons that we have to take into account, we have to find the balance between them so as not to harm the final effect.
The most complex project is always the latest one because we have to fight routine and inertia, regardless of everything we have achieved.
What has been particularly challenging for us lately are the small homes between 40 and 60 m2, because it is extremely difficult to achieve big goals with small spaces and many limitations. We still believe that what you give is never enough, you can always give more… We provoke and create HAUTE CULTURE.