Please introduce your practice
SA|design is a studio based in central London run by Renata Sa. We practice both interior design and architecture.
What differentiates you from other interior designers?
In terms of differentiation, we have an experienced team with combined and complimentary skill sets who collaborate to add creativity on each project. Indeed, feedback from all of our clients is that we offer a very personalised service on each project and ensure this energy is maintained right through to project completion.
What is your interior design philosophy?
Our design philosophy is about fusing our teams combined imagination with the discipline of the uses of the spaces that we need to deliver.
How would you describe a beautifully designed space?
A beautifully designed space begins with understanding the future functionality of the space, its relationship in plan to the adjacent rooms, and its access to sunlight and daylight. A truly beautiful space balances the proportions of rooms with the textures, materials, and colours of all the surfaces, and with the lighting and furniture products. Beautiful spaces have to work at different times of the day and be responsive to the seasons and give the users a sense of calm and timelessness, or be vibrant and active, depending on the design vision.
Why are the materials that you use so important?
The driver of materials choice begins with the requirement for robustness and ease of maintenance and its sustainability credentials. These drivers are important and do not in any way restrict us from using an extraordinary palette of materials both from nature such as stone, timbers, and metals, and to composites such as concretes and terrazzos, as well as highly processed materials like vacuum formed plastics and high pressure laminates as each material has an inherent use, look, and feel.
What are your favourite design trends currently?
We’ve not really been too aligned with design trends, preferring to slowly build up our learning and experiences in forming beautifully crafted spaces. Design trends tend to date so quickly and we’ve seen projects around us that mean constant refurbishments which we don’t believe is a very sustainable way of looking at design.
How do you use metallic finishes and textures in your designs?
Metallic finishes are always a reliable ‘go to’ as they can add sparkle and a sense of robustness to a design. Textures play a vital role of the visual characteristics of a material, the way light reflects on and from it, and of course its tactile nature.
How important is lighting within your projects?
A space needs to perform throughout the day and night and the careful balance of daylight and artificial light is always a significant decision on any project. Combining the right light can transform spaces and the subtle variants of warmth can tune a room to perfection.
Why is the finish of the architectural lighting in your design so crucial?
To enhance the simplicity of a space, fittings can be invisibly embedded into the surfaces. Alternatively, a fitting or array of fittings can become a prominent statement feature, adding focal points to the room in terms of their form, colour, or indeed their finish, which can be complimentary to the overall design concept.
What is your favourite metal finish and why?
I’d not be answering honestly if I said I have a favourite metal finish. We’ve used ultra high polished coloured metal surfaces right through to muted natural mill finished products on a variety of projects and each finish has its own place carefully chosen to enhance the overall design vision.