Designlegende Interview
50 spørgsmål
Monika: We both come from architectural backgrounds, but we’ve devoted the past 20 years to interior architecture. Two decades of experience have been the most valuable school of the profession.
Could you please tell us a bit about your design background and education?
Monika: We both come from architectural backgrounds, but we’ve devoted the past 20 years to interior architecture. Two decades of experience have been the most valuable school of the profession.
What motivates you to design in general, why did you become a designer?
Monika: I’m motivated by creating spaces where people feel good – I’ve always wanted to combine style with comfort.
Adam: I was driven by the desire to design interiors that use modern technology and high precision of execution to enhance living comfort.
Did you choose to become a designer, or you were forced to become one?
Monika: I chose this path consciously – I’ve always been fascinated by space, light, and materials, so interior design was a natural choice.
Adam: Definitely a choice – it wasn’t imposed on me. Designing interiors attracted me, among other reasons, because of its sense of agency.
What do you design, what type of designs do you wish to design more of?
Monika: We design luxury apartments and villas in many countries. I’m especially proud to promote Polish design abroad.
Adam: Large residences and premium apartments give us the opportunity to combine the most advanced technologies, refined materials, remarkable furniture, accessories, and art objects.
What should young designers do to become a design legend like you?
Monika: Learn from established designers, observe people and their needs, and pay attention to detail – that’s key.
Adam: Learn about technology, materials, craftsmanship, and system integration. A legend is someone who combines their chosen aesthetic with flawless execution.
What distinguishes between a good designer and a great designer?
Monika: A good designer meets the client’s requirements; a great one goes beyond them, creating a space above expectations.
What makes a good design a really good design, how do you evaluate good design?
Adam: Good design is both functional and visually captivating. Great design is when technology, function, aesthetics, and durability are perfectly intertwined.
What is the value of good design? Why should everyone invest in good design?
Adam: Investing in good design means fewer corrections, higher quality, better durability, and greater user satisfaction – for many years to come.
What would you design and who would you design for if you had the time?
Monika: I’d design a nature retreat for a family seeking to escape the noise of civilization.
What is the dream project you haven't yet had time to realize?
Adam: I’d love to create a technological villa-laboratory for an investor passionate about innovation.
What is your secret recipe of success in design, what is your secret ingredient?
Monika: Empathy – truly listening to the client and understanding their lifestyle. Real needs are often hidden between the lines.
Who are some other design masters and legends you get inspired from?
Monika: We’re inspired by designers who combine noble materials, craftsmanship, and timeless beauty with technological courage – like the legendary Mies van der Rohe.
What are your favorite designs by other designers, why do you like them?
Monika: I value projects where material, light, and space create a sense of harmony – I love observing the perfect connection between nature and interior.
Adam: I’m drawn to designs that present a technical challenge and its clever resolution – then the interior becomes a living device.
What is your greatest design, which aspects of that design makes you think it is great?
Monika: One of our key realizations is a villa surrounded by forest in Konstancin near Warsaw – the interiors there are fully integrated with each other and with their natural surroundings.
How could people improve themselves to be better designers, what did you do?
Adam: Learn to communicate with clients. Analyze the context of each place. Stay curious about new technologies, materials, and methods.
If you hadn't become a designer, what would you have done?
Monika: I’d probably search for aesthetic values elsewhere, maybe in art.
Adam: I think I would have explored new technologies in construction, vehicle design, or mechanical engineering.
How do you define design, what is design for you?
Monika: Design is about creating spaces that serve and inspire.
Adam: For me, design is a system – the integration of technology, material, light, and function into one coherent whole.
Who helped you to reach these heights, who was your biggest supporter?
Monika: Our support came from the HOLA Design team, family, and investors who believed in our vision.
Adam: Also from contractors, technologists, and international partners – without them, achieving this level of quality and recognition wouldn’t have been possible.
What helped you to become a great designer?
Monika: Openness to travel, global inspiration, and readiness to adapt our work to different cultures.
Adam: Continuous development of technological skills and participation in international projects – it allowed us to operate on a broader stage and at a higher level.
What were the obstacles you faced before becoming a design master?
Monika: The world changed rapidly over the last 20 years – new tools, open borders, evolving materials, growing client awareness. But constant adaptation only energized us.
How do you think designers should present their work?
Adam: Transparently – by showing process, materials, function, and atmosphere, not just the visual effect. It builds trust.
What's your next design project, what should we expect from you in future?
Monika: Soon we’ll be realizing a villa in Southern Europe, where landscape and light will define the character of the interiors.
What's your ultimate goal as a designer?
Adam: To create timeless interiors that actively support the users’ well-being.
What people expect from an esteemed designer such as yourself?
Monika: They expect not only a design but a full-scope realization with top craftsmanship. And we make sure to deliver it.
How does design help create a better society?
Adam: By creating spaces that nurture relationships, comfort, and health – design directly improves quality of life.
What are you currently working on that you are especially excited about?
Adam: About the villa project merging with its landscape, as mentioned earlier.
Which design projects gave you the most satisfaction, why?
Monika: The ones where the client says, “This is my home.” That’s the greatest reward.
What would you like to see changed in design industry in the coming years?
Adam: We dream of an industry where sustainability is a standard – without compromising on luxury.
Where do you think the design field is headed next?
Monika: Toward human-nature integration, everyday comfort, calming aesthetics, and reduced environmental impact.
How long does it take you to finalize a design project?
Adam: It depends on the scale – smaller apartments take a few months, large villas over a year.
When you have a new design project, where do you start?
Monika: With getting to know the client, their lifestyle, and the character of the place – including its history and local culture.
What is your life motto as a designer?
Monika: “A space you want to live in.”
Adam: “Technology in the service of humanity.”
Do you think design sets the trends or trends set the designs?
Monika: Designers can be trendsetters if they’re authentic – but more often our task is to respond to users’ conscious and unconscious needs.
Adam: On the other hand, we adapt to trends set by technological shifts – it’s a dialogue.
What is the role of technology when you design?
Monika: Technology in our studio supports the design process; in the home, it makes life easier. But it should always remain a tool, not a gadget.
What kind of design software and equipment do you use in your work?
Adam: We use advanced CAD/BIM software and 3D visualization programs. But the first sketches are always made on paper – the pencil still thinks best.
What is the role of the color, materials and ambient in design?
Monika: Color and material (including structure, texture, and tactile quality) are the foundations of atmosphere. We use natural palettes, wood, stone, and living greenery.
What do you wish people to ask about your design?
Monika: I wish they’d ask: “How will this interior improve the user’s life?”
When you see a new great design or product what comes into your mind?
Adam: I wonder how it will serve people in everyday life, for years to come.
Who is your ideal design partner? Do you believe in co-design?
Monika: An open-minded person with vision and understanding of function. Yes, I believe in co-design. With Adam, we founded HOLA Design and have been growing it for 20 years.
Which people you interacted had the most influence on your design?
Monika: Clients, contractors, craftsmen, and artists – we learn something valuable from each of them.
Which books you read had the most effect on your design?
Adam: Books such as Thinking Architecture by Peter Zumthor and The Eyes of the Skin by Juhani Pallasmaa had a profound influence on us. They taught us to perceive architecture not only through form and function, but through emotion, light, and sensory experience.
Monika: These readings helped us understand that interior design is not decoration but a dialogue between space, material, and human presence — something timeless, tactile, and deeply human.
How did you develop your skills as a master designer?
Monika: Through practice, analysis of international projects, global markets, and constant learning.
Adam: The larger the investment scale, the greater the knowledge gained.
Irrelative of time and space, who you would want to meet, talk and discuss with?
Monika: I would love to meet Charlotte Perriand — a woman who turned modernism into something warm, humane, and timeless. Her approach to space as a living organism feels incredibly close to our philosophy.
Adam: I would like to talk with Peter Zumthor about the emotional power of architecture and the invisible dialogue between material, light, and technology. His work proves that innovation and atmosphere can exist in perfect harmony.
How do you feel about all the awards and recognition you had, is it hard to be famous?
Monika: Awards are gratifying, but they come with responsibility – fame isn’t the goal, it’s confirmation of quality.
Adam: Recognition builds credibility, but maintaining high standards is a constant challenge – it’s not an end, but a commitment.
What is your favorite color, place, food, season, thing and brand?
Monika: My favorite colors are natural shades of beige, green, and stone.
Adam: My favorite place is our “Shepherd’s Cabin” in the mountains – it has earned us many awards and strengthened our position in the industry.
Please tell us a little memoir, a funny thing you had experienced as a designer?
Adam: We once designed a pattern using black and white ceramic tiles. To our surprise, the contractor only laid white tiles. He explained that the technical drawings only showed white tiles. He clearly hadn't read the descriptions.
What makes your day great as a designer, how do you motivate yourself?
Monika: A good concept, solving a functional or technical issue, discovering a new craft or artwork that fits our clients’ needs – that’s what brings joy.
When you were a little child, was it obvious that you would become a great designer?
Monika: Not entirely, but I was always fascinated by interiors, light, and space – maybe it was meant to be.
Adam: As a child, I loved building things – so yes, it was probably a sign.
What do you think about future; what do you see will happen in thousand years from now?
Monika: In the future, homes will be fully integrated with nature, and “living space” as a concept will disappear – we’ll live in symbiosis.
Adam: A thousand years from now, technology will be invisible, materials will have zero carbon footprint, and designers will become coordinators of human experience.
Please tell us anything you wish your fans to know about you, your design and anything else?
Monika: Every space we design is a story – of the client, the place, and the moment in time. We care for interiors that are not only beautiful but alive.
Adam: And that for us, technology isn’t an accessory – it’s an essential tool for creating comfort and longevity, where every detail truly matters.
