"Let's not confuse sustainability with using cheap recycled materials," advise interior design specialists. What harmonious "longevity" living looks like, they demonstrate at the current FOR INTERIOR fair
Anyone who has ever visited the DESIGNEROOM showroom and gallery of interior styles in Prague's Karlín knows that this studio is a guarantee of tasteful and thoughtful inspiration. The creative duo of Jakub Stach and Ondřej Kubový boasts 16 years of experience, during which the designers have realised residential and commercial spaces in Milan, Paris, Malaga, Hong Kong and Shanghai. On the occasion of the spring FOR INTERIOR fair, which will take place from 26 to 29 March at PVA Expo Praha Letňany, DESIGNEROOM studio has prepared something special in cooperation with the fair organisers: a unique design gallery called LIFESTYLE ROOM.
When you say furniture and interior design fair, most of us probably imagine halls full of stands and separate cubicles where each exhibitor presents their work separately. How should we imagine the LIFESTYLE ROOM gallery, which you have prepared as a novelty for this year's FOR INTERIOR?
LIFESTYLE ROOM brings a new way of presenting design. Instead of the classic booths and separate cubicles, there will be one open, connected space where individual brands will work together to create an inspiring environment without boundaries. Visitors will thus see the products in relation to each other and in the authentic context of modern living - exactly where they should naturally function in everyday life.
Does LIFESTYLE ROOM have a unifying theme or overarching idea that you want to convey to visitors?
The main idea of the entire exhibition is harmony and synergy between partners. The selection of brands is curated so that the individual presentations naturally complement each other, not compete. The result will be a compact, aesthetically balanced whole - a space that the visitor will not perceive as a trade fair exhibition, but as an inspiring gallery of contemporary lifestyle.
If you had to pick three pillars on which quality living currently stands, which would they be?
Harmony of space. Meaningful sustainability. Longevity. These values increasingly define quality housing today - and we place great emphasis on them for that reason.
I was intrigued by the mention of longevity - while we've been seeing the longevity trend in society for a few years now, it's mostly discussed in the context of biohacking or healthy living. How does longevity translate into furnishing apartments and houses?
It is about design that promotes long-term quality of life, comfort and timelessness. High-quality, close-to-nature and authentic materials, thoughtful design and balanced proportions play an essential role. Timelessness does not mean boredom, grey, lack of ideas or fear of colour. Interiors can be colourful if they work with natural colours and earthy tones that will not dull and will stand the test of time.
What other "ingredients" are needed to make the resulting interior look harmonious?
We see the harmony of a space as the integration of architecture, light, acoustics, materials and nature into one balanced whole. This principle is not only evident in the exhibition, but should be a natural part of every modern and pleasant interior.
Another trend often mentioned is sustainability - but you stress that it should be meaningful. What do we mean by this in practice?
In our opinion, meaningful sustainability means first and foremost using high-quality furnishings made from valuable and authentic materials that can be repaired and maintained in the long term. A typical example is furniture made of hard solid wood, such as oak, which can be easily repaired to a practically new state after many years. Or high quality European upholstered furniture, which manufacturers are able to factory-refurbish at reasonable cost after years of use. If such furnishings also have a well-proportioned and timeless design, they can still look up-to-date decades later. Let us therefore not confuse sustainability with the use of cheap recycled materials. In our view, true respect for the environment is based primarily on the principle of a long service life, not on solutions that need to be replaced after a short period of time.
It is these three principles - harmony of space, longevity and meaningful sustainability - that we at DESIGNEROOM interior design gallery consider essential. That is why you will find brands and products that naturally fulfil these values in the FOR INTERIOR exhibition.
If you visit the spring FOR INTERIOR from 26-29 March, in the unique LIFESTYLE ROOM exhibition created in cooperation with DESIGNEROOM, you will see, for example, acoustic furniture from Smart Acoustic, Lumetta design lamps, textiles and bedding from Hana Kroa, indoor plants from Give me a room, a bathroom and spa from the bathroom studio Keraservis, decorative concrete tiles from Paneeli or a terrace and patio by DIAMOND DESIGN.
For the basic admission to FOR INTERIOR you will pay 200 CZK on the spot. Thanks to the extraordinary coincidence of dates, the ticket is also valid for entry to the concurrent FOR GARDEN fair.
