British Congo is a young Estonian interior designer who mainly prefers the Scandinavian interior design style in her work. Today she appears on the Baltic Design Blog and explains which aspects are important when furnishing an apartment, gives tips and tricks for designing an apartment and shows us how she lives herself.
Dear Britta, why is Scandinavian style so important to you?
In Estonia, where it is dark for almost half the year, an apartment needs ample access to light, open spaces and soft colors. The Scandinavian style of interior design is best suited for creating cozy and harmonious spaces in such a climate. Selected furniture made of wood, felt or linen fabrics creates a home where you can feel good and recharge your batteries.
What furnishing styles can you find in your home?
I live in a house built in the 90s that has a bit of retro and a bit of Scandinavian decor. The idea was to keep the interior design in harmony with the exterior appearance of the house. There are painted brick walls in the bedroom and kitchen, furniture in a discreet retro style and mosaic parquet. Everything is completed by my typical light walls, wooden elements and natural materials. In terms of color scheme, the apartment is decorated in white-grey wood tones. Open and minimalist, but still welcoming and with plenty of space for residents.
Why should you get interior design advice from an interior design consultant?
First, an interior designer has the experience and ability to get the most out of an apartment and play with different spaces. Careful space planning results in a practical use of space that is welcoming and inviting.
Secondly, a room designer or interior designer always keeps the big picture in mind and acts accordingly. Find the right style for the existing space, combine colors with materials, furniture and lights and create a perfect whole. My clients usually have a lot of great ideas and wishes, but making it all happen isn’t always good. If the interior designer and the client examine the wishes and ideas together, the result is better and the client feels comfortable in his apartment afterwards.
Third, in today’s fast-paced world, an interior designer helps save time and resources by being attentive and professional. Furnishing an apartment is a full-time job for several months. Without professional help, people tend to make quick and ill-advised purchasing decisions that they later regret, such as the wrong color of the walls, the impractical sofa, etc.
How would you describe Estonians’ taste in interior design? What do they particularly like and what are they sure they won’t have at home?
Estonians take a more traditional approach to decor. They prefer the tried, tested and safe and play less with the new and exciting. Since most Estonians have an apartment in the city and a summer house in the countryside, there are obvious differences in furnishings. The city apartments are furnished in a more classic and modern style, while the summer houses combine the maritime style with the country one and ethnic elements.
In general, the rooms are bright, open and welcoming and, as in the Scandinavian style, not very luxurious or ostentatious. Estonians love convenience and comfort.
The design of living spaces: where are the most mistakes made?
During setup, you shouldn’t lose sight of the bigger picture. People often tend to act spontaneously and purchase many things that are beautiful as individual pieces, but do not work as well as expected when combined with other elements in the home. The result is haphazardly decorated rooms that feel too crowded. When designing an apartment it is important not to overdo it with furniture. Each of us has decorative elements that subsequently change and refine the image. And it’s important that people have space in the rooms too.
What wall colors would you always recommend?
Light, warm tones of beige and grey. In fact, these always adapt and leave ample space for other furnishings in the apartment.
What are the three most important aspects when furnishing an apartment and where should you proceed carefully?
The big picture, from wall colors to key furniture and lighting, needs to be carefully thought out in advance.
Listen to your inner self: what do you like, what do you like? Don’t rely on the latest trends or glossy photos from interior design magazines, but think about what would be right for you.
The floors and walls, the frame so to speak, must be discreet but of high quality. You can later add excitement to the apartment with various details and easily replace them with other elements.
What current interior design trend do you particularly like?
I love marble. Even the face of my watch is made of marble and I love looking at it!:)
Your best tricks that you often use when designing your living spaces?
I don’t have any special makeup. I listen to my inner feeling and that of my clients. These two sources create a concept that always leads to good results. The inner feeling is the essence and always works.
What inspires you in your work?
The environment that surrounds me, the people and above all nature. I also like to look at different websites and blogs and look through magazines to think about how I could do what I see differently.
I am increasingly fascinated by the effect a room has on people. It can be very positive, but also negative. It depends on the person who enters a particular room. What a person needs around them to be happy also varies greatly. Exciting and challenging field! I want to create spaces that make people feel good and make their eyes light up. Then I know I did a good job.
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