First, I was struck by those gorgeous hexagon tiles randomly draped over that dark wood paneled floor, like an archeological dig that struck gold. Then I was taken in by that 39' long kauri wood table with a mishmash of chairs, perhaps mirroring their occupants personalities, and I had to know more. Charged by long chats about the pros and cons between living a life of abundance and that of simplicity, this seemed to land somewhere in my likeminded middle.
Italian interior designer and architect, Paola Navone has a natural ability to marry modern design with traditional handicrafts. Her career has spanned the globe, allowing her to work with the industrial luminaries in Italy to artisan crafters in Southeast Asia. The mix of history and character brings a cosmopolitan feel to her spaces, but they are never devoid of whimsy. Not taking herself too seriously is the core of her philosophy, as this interview for Surface Magazine can attest.
Paola is the epitome of a person following their curiosity, being open to unusual collaborations for the sheer enjoyment of their chance outcomes. In her interview she describes her career as a series of treasure hunts, which for a self professed nomad is carried out at an international scale. What resonates with me the most about Paola's work and how she describes her process, is that she is not interested in defining herself within a particular niche or style but rather the accidental design victories that are stumbled upon while problem solving.
Paola Navone has a particular talent for rediscovering design from the past and bringing it to life in new, contemporary forms. She strives to create hybrids of design and handicraft, placing greater value on design that comes about “by mistake” than that which is created for mass production. Paola Navone is not just a fervent advocate of handicrafts, she also believes that you can learn a lot from industry and its technical processes. She is interested in the unique, the unusual, that which is not banal, and she always endeavours to develop and process it in her own personal way. She likes to work with colours and light that provide warmth and awaken memories of previous experiences. Paola Navone does not want to define herself within a particular niche or style. - Stylepark
Image sources : trendland, jennifer cederstam, jonnymetbird