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White Lava Studio

Interior Design With Elegance and Comfort

We speak to Carola from White Lava Studio about the importance of interior design and personal space

Carola, how do you coordinate a project?

When a client contacts me for a project, I always start by meeting them at their home. It is crucial that I get a feel for their home, to understand how they live, how they use their space, the dynamic of the household and spend time listening to the client’s ideas and objectives.

I like to present them with boards: they are the first contact with reality: the colour scheme which will be used, the textures and fabrics we will play with, some pictures of items recommended to be purchased, or other photos of projects to get them inspired. The goal is to create a vision, submit it to the client and get them confident that this will be what’s best for them.

When contractors/craftsmen/builders are involved, it is also crucial to have a very detailed project plan: when to have the builders in, when to order the flooring or tiling, when to have the electricians, the painter/decorator, order and schedule deliveries of big items etc.

Finally, it’s about the final installation, finishing touches, accessories that will create the added value the client has been expecting.

What are the most important things to consider when a client gives you a brief?

Interior design is about much more than designing for aesthetic appearance. It has to consider how spaces work; how they deliver a message and how individuals respond to this when conducting their daily lives; and even how people move around space and interact with objects or people.

It’s very important to get the client to think deeply about the feeling they want to achieve from the place. It’s important to know how open or flexible clients are to new ideas and trends, but also that they rest assured we are always trying to work using already existing pieces that are present in their home, that are important to them, and trying to highlight them.

Where do you source your materials from and what are the main themes for 2019?

One of the biggest parts of our job is sourcing the right materials and items. There is an extensive search that goes on, and I will be mixing things from online searches, national stores to local suppliers we know, trust, have worked with in the past and are comfortable with the quality of their materials.

This particular year we are seeing huge trend in bold colours: burgundy, dark greens, dark blues. Materials like marble, concrete, gold, natural wood are always very popular. Last, always add plants to your project to bring life!

What do you plan for the future of the business?

We are hoping to keep expending and working on more projects, here in London or abroad. To keep learning every day. But what matters most is to get the clients’ satisfaction with our work, gain their trust, have them call us back for another project they may have in the future and realise they are happy with what we have achieve for them.

Carola Gutierrez
White Lava Studio
07775 884463
contact@whitelavastudio.com
whitelavastudio.com

Testimonial

“Carola managed to get exactly the feel I was looking for. She has mixed various styles we have discussed, without creating clashes, and made it elegant and very comfortable to live in. She is very hands on, respect the schedule and budget perfectly and was always available should we have questions or doubts at any given time. Merci!”