{"id":26673,"date":"2015-08-12T17:40:37","date_gmt":"2015-08-12T16:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brabbu.com\/blog\/?p=26673"},"modified":"2017-07-26T14:23:16","modified_gmt":"2017-07-26T13:23:16","slug":"design-talks-with-oleg-klodt-architecture-design-bureau","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brabbu.com\/blog\/2015\/08\/design-talks-with-oleg-klodt-architecture-design-bureau\/","title":{"rendered":"Design Talks with Oleg Klodt Architecture & Design Bureau"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"100<\/a>
\nDesign Talks<\/strong><\/em> returned for its fourth edition. We went again to Russia to know the design philosophy and knowledge of the Oleg Klodt Architecture & Design Bureau<\/a>. Based in Moscow Oleg Klodt burau is a member of British & International Design Society<\/a>. We we\u2019re delighted to have the chance to talk about design with Oleg Klodt and\u00a0<\/strong>Anna Agapova.<\/p>\n

1) Can you tell us how and why you went into the interior design industry?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Oleg Klodt:<\/strong>\u00a0Actually, it was almost a coincidence that I became an interior designer as well as an architect. The subject of design fascinated me when I was a student, and after graduating from the Moscow Architectural Institute I leapt straight into my career \u2013 without even thinking about any other kind of professional direction at all. Originally architecture interested me the most, but the economic climate in Russia during the early 2000s prompted me to venture into interior design.<\/p>\n

Anna Agapova:\u00a0<\/strong>I studied Urbanisation at Moscow State University, and then went on to acquire further qualifications in the field of lighting\u2026 which developed into an interest in urban electrification. In time my experience in the lighting industry became a route into designing interiors, initially working on commercial projects such as offices and beauty salons. Eventually I\u00a0was hired at Oleg Klodt Architectural Bureau and gradually my role evolved into inventing spatial concepts as I was very taken with Parisian and Proven\u00e7al styles \u2013 an interest I shared with Oleg.<\/p>\n

Oleg Klodt:\u00a0<\/strong>That\u2019s right! Our first project together, in fact, was an apartment at Bor\u2019by Square \u2013 designed in a Parisian style that was also suited to the atmosphere of historic Moscow.<\/p>\n

\"Design<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0<\/b>How would you describe your style? Do you have a specific style?<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Oleg Klodt:\u00a0<\/b>Interior design preferences have been changing at an astonishing pace, which has led to an unexpected trend. In the past, spaces were created with distinct historical styles like Neoclassical, Art Deco, etc\u2026 and were distinguished by vast quantities of accessories and highly decorative styles. Functionality wasn\u2019t as important as appearance. In contrast, today\u2019s modern interiors are dominated by minimalism. Over the past few years, an increasing number of our clients have asked us to take a more contemporary approach, shunning classical designs in favour of d\u00e9cor influenced by the Sixties and Seventies \u2013 although a degree of traditional flair is maintained. It\u2019s all become a mash-up.<\/p>\n

We aim to design stylistically different interiors inspired by each client\u2019s vision and lifestyle. Even so, despite their individuality, our projects retain elements of our house style \u2013 slightly restrained, with a sense of nobility and good taste. <\/b><\/p>\n

Anna Agapova:\u00a0<\/b>We create innovative, contemporary interiors using the latest technologies for the finishes, details, and textures. When speaking about style, it would be hard to pigeonhole our work as being anything too specific. Everything is reinvented and evolving. But who can say how, with hindsight, the future will define the design trends of today?<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0<\/b>What part of your work as an interior designer do you enjoy most?<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Oleg Klodt:\u00a0<\/b>Well, y\u2019know \u2013 I like all of it!\u00a0 My work as a designer is multifaceted, and I enjoy bringing all those different elements together successfully.<\/p>\n

Anna Agapova:\u00a0<\/b>I really enjoy planning and creating spaces and can quickly visualise how an interior will look \u2013 long before we\u2019ve even begun planning it on paper. I imagine the spaces and how they will appear at different times of day. For example, in the evening \u2013 how will the rooms look when different members of the family get home?\u00a0 How will they look at the weekend when everyone\u2019s having lunch together? They\u2019re like scenes from a film. Plus, once our digital team translates the CADs and specs into 3D visualisations, it\u2019s wonderful to see how the interiors will finally look.<\/p>\n

\"Design<\/p>\n

4)\u00a0<\/b>Where do you seek your inspiration?<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Oleg Klodt:\u00a0<\/b>My design inspiration is drawn directly from what I see, for example, architectural structures. \u00a0London is a great stimulus for me \u2013 the city\u2019s architecture and design adapts to contemporary life in a very particular way. I adopt the same approach when adjusting interior concepts to a client\u2019s personality, the existing space, and the spirit of modernity.<\/p>\n

Anna Agapova:\u00a0<\/b>My travels to different wonderful places around the world have been really inspirational. \u00a0I particularly like Italy \u2013 especially Renaissance art in Tuscany and Umbria. I also love the astonishing natural landscapes of Britain \u2013 particularly Cornwall, the shores of the Scottish Highlands, and the Isle of Skye.<\/p>\n

\"Design<\/p>\n

5)\u00a0<\/b>Are there particular international events that you give special attention to, when gathering information about the latest innovations?<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Anna Agapova:\u00a0<\/b>Well definitely \u2013 we always make a point of visiting London Design Week <\/a>and Decorex every year. The items we find at Decorex can\u2019t be found anywhere else, and very often they form the basis of our projects.<\/p>\n

Maison & Objet<\/i> in Paris<\/a> is a show we\u2019ll generally visit every 2-3 years, by comparison with Decorex. There are a great many new and fascinating Spanish, Portuguese and Italian interior brands on show, and the show covers a broader geographic base in that sense. Of course, it\u2019s always worthwhile looking at the latest in French interior ideas too.<\/p>\n

Milan is another of our once-in-two-or-three-years visits. It\u2019s a huge exhibition, but what interests us there is what the top Italian producers are exhibiting \u2013 like giorgetti chicotti.<\/i> The Italian market is getting more up-to-date slowly, which makes the exhibition more worthwhile.<\/p>\n

We go to Belgium mostly to take a walk around Bruges\u2026 well, no, I\u2019m joking there! We\u2019ve visited the Kortrijk trade show<\/a> a couple of times. Frankly we rarely use much Belgian material in our projects, because of the dissonance between their design and our own style. Even so, it\u2019s a unique kind of exhibition, and sometimes we find a few items which play well within our more eclectic interiors.<\/p>\n

This year we also make a Chinese visit to the exhibition in Guangzhou. We\u2019re planning to get to Verona this year too.<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Design<\/p>\n

6)\u00a0<\/b>Which design brands do you like most of all?<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Anna Agapova:\u00a0<\/b>How much time do you have? I could list my favourite brands all day! The uniqueness of our work hinges on our knowledge of a vast number of different top brands, and that we work with a very wide range of companies.<\/p>\n

Julian Chichester<\/a>\u2018s work excites me a lot \u2013 the items he produces always slot very neatly into the style of our interiors. There are also American brands which we like, such as Holly Hunt<\/a> \u2013 a group of American designers who produce furniture and lighting. The most recent discovery I\u2019ve made has been the Powell & Bonnel <\/a>brand. Other brands I\u2019ve become interested in recently include Ochre, Amy Somerville, Meissen, Soane Britain, CoxLondon, Stuart Scott, Justin Van Breda. Lindsey Adelman\u2019s lighting designs just send me wild! It\u2019s not only the design itself (although it\u2019s amazing) \u2013 I\u2019ve seen lighting like this before. It\u2019s more the way that the items have been constructed \u2013 something completely unique. The quality of metal and glass production is at the top of its game.\u00a0 Of course, every year I yearn for the latest goodies from brands like The Urban Electric Company<\/a>. Of course, BRABBU<\/a> is on the list as well.<\/b><\/p>\n

Oleg Klodt:\u00a0<\/b>I admire the high quality of furniture produced by Davidson<\/a> \u2013 the lacquer finishes on their composite tables are just superb. We often use furniture made by Baker<\/a>.\u00a0 And despite my predilection against Italian brands, we use Giorgetti furniture too.<\/p>\n

\"Design<\/p>\n

7)\u00a0<\/b>Which colours, materials and techniques do you prefer in furniture design?<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Oleg Klodt:\u00a0<\/b>I wouldn\u2019t say I have particular colour preferences. I am interested in the combination of materials. I like to combine wood with metal. Modern technology allows us to choose many different metals in a wide palette of colours. We used to use only nickel and satin. Today we can use gold, brass and copper, and in all their shades \u2013 and silver. Where we are involved in loft-style projects, we use a lot of black metal, and black steel in different styles.<\/p>\n

Anna Agapova:\u00a0<\/b>I\u2019d like to mention wood too. Previously the number of different woods we used was rather limited \u2013 primarily oak and American walnut. Today we use a much broader selection, including sycamore, poplar, jatoba, olive, polisander, eucalyptus, maple\u2026\u00a0 The combination of sycamore or afromozia with brass is really great.<\/p>\n

\"Design<\/p>\n

8)\u00a0<\/b>Is there anything particular amongst your current work that really excites you, that you\u2019d like to tell us about?\u00a0 Any of your latest projects?<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Oleg Klodt:\u00a0<\/b>We\u2019re working on several large private residences at the moment, including one where we are rebuilding the architecture, facades and interiors of its vast, 2500 sqm footprint. Another sizeable project which I\u2019m enjoying is for a client for whom we only just finished designing their downtown apartment. Since we already know what to expect from each other, we can dare to be a bit bolder than usual.<\/p>\n

Anna Agapova:\u00a0<\/b>We\u2019re also in the middle of designing an English-style family residence with a warm and cosy hominess. \u00a0Then we have another client who has asked us for a complete makeover of their house, including all the d\u00e9cor \u2013 everything through to the towels and pillowcases. It\u2019s great when a client has that level of trust in us as designers because it leads to a truly holistic result. Another project involves some tricky architectural challenges. The structure has a bunch of different materials including complicated metal fixtures, and even the kitchen cabinetry fa\u00e7ades will be metallic. We\u2019ve found a special manufacturer in France who can cast all of these fixtures, which means we can use them extensively throughout the project.<\/p>\n

\"Design<\/a><\/p>\n

9)\u00a0<\/b>How do you see the way Russian design and the Russian market are going?<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Oleg Klodt:\u00a0<\/b>I\u2019d say that the interior design business in Russia is going forwards at full throttle, and developing extremely well. We aren\u2019t copying what\u2019s going on in the USA or Europe, but instead we are creating something unique of our own \u2013 the world looks at Russian designers differently now. For example, the book published by Beta Plus dedicated only to the work of Russian designers, in which our projects were included, is one example of that new trend. The attitude has changed completely.<\/p>\n

Anna Agapova:\u00a0<\/b>The situation with furniture brands has changed radically, in Moscow there is more and more stuff available. However, a lot of brands available are for mass-market distribution. It used to be that brands like Andrew Martin<\/a> and Eichholtz<\/a> were very exclusive \u2013 but now you see them everywhere you go.\u00a0 In order to retain our uniqueness we have to exercise more and more effort in our item sourcing.<\/p>\n

\"Design<\/a>BRABBU\u2019s TUAREG Dining Chair<\/a> in one of Oleg Klodt Architecture & Design Bureau projects.<\/p>\n

10)\u00a0<\/b>What\u2019s your philosophy in design \u2013 and in life?<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Oleg Klodt:\u00a0<\/b>My philosophy is that everything should be done to the very best level you can achieve. If you do something, then do it to the maximum. This puts demands both on yourself, and those around you too.<\/p>\n

Anna Agapova:\u00a0<\/b>Honesty and sincerity. Continuously working to improve yourself.<\/p>\n

\"Design<\/p>\n

Oleg and Anna with one of their awards.<\/p>\n

11) Please choose three BRABBU items, and tell us why you chose them?<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Oleg Klodt:<\/b><\/p>\n

NAJ Bar Chair<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Design<\/a><\/p>\n

Actually it\u2019s pretty difficult to find any decent bar stools. They often have really bad proportions, or they\u2019re really uncomfortable. But here we can see that the double back to the stool will support your back well, and the double frame is something I\u2019ve not seen anywhere else in any other bar stools. I also love the great combination of materials \u2013 wood, with a very restricted metal component, and the fabric is a great colour blend and attractive texture.<\/p>\n

INCA Armchair<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Design<\/a>Actually this armchair doesn\u2019t really suit my own aesthetic preferences much. But I chose it even so! It\u2019s designed in a kind of 1960s style, and it\u2019s very comfortable (I sat in it myself). It has small details which make it rather interesting \u2013 for example the nails, which which the padding is attached from the back.<\/p>\n

TERENA 2 Seat Sofa<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Design<\/a>This item is more of a couchette than a sofa. You could put it in a corridor, for example. We often use furniture which has small arms \u2013 architecturally they slot well into art-d\u00e9co.<\/i> The proportions work-out very neatly, and the choice of fabric points-up the overall simplicity of the design. All of the materials convey a top-end aesthetic \u2013 zimbrana, velvet, silk. If this sofa had been shaped more classically, it would have been over-the-top. But here in this stripped-down design it looks great!<\/p>\n

Anna Agapova:<\/b><\/p>\n

NAJ Bar Chair<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Design<\/a>I chose this chair too, without even knowing Oleg had picked it. It has a deliciously understated shape, as Oleg noticed \u2013 and the combination of textures works out very well. The lightweight back above the seat\u2026\u00a0 it all makes this an item for use anywhere, something you could place in any interior, whether art-d\u00e9co<\/i> or contemporary..\u00a0 it works anywhere you put it.<\/p>\n

TUAREG Armchair<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DesignNow this really is my favourite chair! It\u2019s deliciously soft and a wonderful shape. You could change the upholstery and the buttons, you\u2019d get a very touching item for a child\u2019s bedroom. In a single-colour fabric in a deep purple hue you could put it in the lobby of any grand hotel in London, where it would attract interest, and become an art-object in its own right.<\/p>\n

MAREE Sofa<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DesignThis sofa tells its own story. I adore the shapes \u2013 completely balanced. I feel that this design hovers between contemporary and classic. When designers manage to balance items exactly on that brink \u2013 it\u2019s the sign of real talent.<\/p>\n

Oleg Klodt and Anna Agapova \u2013 thank you very much for having this wonderful design talk with us and give us an inside and more accurate look of your work and of the interior design industry and process.<\/p>\n

The SBID International Design Awards and Andrew Martin Interior Designer of the Year are some of the awards that\u00a0Oleg Klodt Architecture & Design Bureau already won. You can see the entire list here:\u00a0http:\/\/olegklodt.com\/en\/awards<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Boca<\/a><\/p>\n

Get different insights on the design world:<\/p>\n

DESIGN TALKS WITH FERNANDA MARQUES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

DESIGN TALKS WITH HAMEED HANI<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

DESIGN TALKS WITH ANNA KOVALCHENKO<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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