Interview with Jenya Lykasova

The desire to create and share ideas that have so much in my head.

I chose this profession myself, which was basically the dream of my life.

Although I mainly specialize in the design of residential and public spaces, however, I am very interested in the development of public space projects. Also, I’d like to design a small boutique hotel as well.

I’ll answer when I’m a legend

A good designer knows his or her price, a great designer doesn’t think about the price at all.

Basically, the first is the idea. What do I feel when I see this space? What did the author want to say?
The second one is - how harmonious everything is, how materials and colors are combined and finally - the proportions of all elements in the space.

Good design makes life not only comfortable, but also affects our psyche. The harmony of the surrounding space forms a special way of thinking, we treat events differently and do not allow chaos and disorder in our lives. This is especially important if there are children in the family, because their knowledge of the world will begin from a harmonious space and this will set the way of the development for the child.

To be honest, the idea of ​​creating small boutique hotels or guest houses around the world is very inspiring to me. Places where people from all over the world come to learn more about another city, country and culture are very interesting to design. In order to make a good project, you must get to know this culture, soak it up to show all the features that are visible and invisible at first glance.
I am also very interested in retail and other public spheres. I must mention that I enjoy creating interiors that contain impressive elements, as the interior of a public space should be emotionally bright, unique and memorable, while the interior of residential spaces should be cozy, conducive to relaxation.

That is undoubtedly the design of my own home)

This is artistic vision and empathy. I manage to feel the client and realize the interior as a portrait of the owners or the DNA of the brand (if we are talking about public interiors), emphasizing the features and uniqueness

I admire many architects, interior designers and furniture ones. Actually, there is not enough space to list them all. However, some of the most interesting for me are Patricia Urquiola, Vincent Van Duysen, Tadao Ando.

I adore observing the creativity of other designers in general, to trace their development, their creative path. I can’t single out something specific, because everything deserves attention) For example, I like Patricia’s work so much that most often when I see new furniture and feel that this is something surprising and impressive for me, it turns out that the designer is exactly Patricia. The same thing happens with the interiors of Vincent.

Truly speaking,I really love all the projects, each of them is very special, each one contains some elements that I'm really proud of. But I do believe that the most significant project will be still ahead.

I would definitely recommend attending more exhibitions and traveling and communicating more both with colleagues and contractors (which implies learning new technologies), as well as just with ordinary people. Interiors are created for people and it is important to understand modern needs, the use of technology, but all this must be full of beauty, and for achieving this goal you need to improve your artistic level constantly.

Undoubtedly, I would definitely be into painting.

For me, the way I see it, design is a way to change reality, bring comfort, harmony and aesthetics to it. This is what makes the world more beautiful, and helps people experience positive emotions.

Certainly, I have always been supported by my family and friends. Thank you very much for this one! I find it really crucial that they believe in you and support the most incredible ideas.

At the moment I'm on my way to it!

The path is never easy. Everyone faces difficulties and by overcoming them we learn and grow professionally. Working with people in the service sector is always difficult, finding mutual understanding with customers, getting the team working, finding solutions to construction issues at a construction site - we go through all this all the time.

Of course I can’t but agree, because this is what helps to find new customers, as well as share ideas and discoveries with colleagues. This is how we help the development of the design world.

Now we are working on a collection of furniture, which is a really captivating process. We believe in the success of the project for sure!

My ultimate goal in my view is to work all over the world on interesting projects, try new things and never stand still. Make the world more beautiful!

I guess it would be better to ask them.

Design sets a certain order of things, systematizes, makes everything it touches not only more convenient, but also more beautiful. This even sets a certain level, below which no one wants to fall. Aesthetics united with technology is a vector of development of society as well as a way of thinking.

At the moment we are working on a new showroom project, alongside we are also developing a furniture collection. All this against the backdrop of moving to another country, so the most interesting thing now I can call is the process of reconsidering the way I used to work before and how designers work in England. It's also exciting for me to observe the differences in cultures and how this is reflected in the design. We will find out later how it’s going to work, but this actually appears to be a very entertaining process.

Thinking about it, I must say the best projects were those ones where the clients had complete confidence in us and our design expertise. This allows you to concentrate on the tasks of project release fully in the best possible way. And of course it is important that everyone on the construction site knows their stuff when everyone is cooperating to achieve the best result.

Well, for me it seems to be of vital significance for all the designers to find and further on to stick to their own unique style, as still up to this moment we might observe quite a lot of similar designs lacking any individuality implemented by numerous designers all over the world, which I find rather dull and even mediocre.

In my opinion, design will be aimed at simplifying complex and intricate shapes and materials, more attention will be paid to sustainability and recycling and care for the environment.

It all depends on the type and size of the object. In our experience, we have implemented retail projects in 2 months, for example, if we are talking about a small apartment, it may take from six months to a year from the start of the design process to full implementation. Whereas, if it is a large house of 1000 sq.m. it will most probably take 2-3 years. Everything really depends on the construction team, funding, supplies of materials, and sometimes the political situation in the country.

As a rule, I always start a new project by studying and understanding clients and their wishes, plunging into their inner world and philosophy to get the full picture of their lifestyle in order to be able to offer the most suitable version of the design.

That is trying to find something special in every single client, to notice the uniqueness of each of us.

Truly speaking, I can’t say that I’m really keen on trends for some reasons. I do believe that the task of any designer is to create a design which is going to stay relevant for many years and make the client feel at home and happy inside it, as well as to keep it modern. So, answering the question,design sets the trends,however, at times trends might influence designers and in this way we could get a boring result which you will get fed up with rather quickly.

When we design something, every time we use modern technologies, as they influence our life significantly and develop extremely fast,so we just must choose the right way to implement them in the projects.

Typically, for rendering part we use 3D Max, SketchUp for drawing sketches, Revit-for drawings and Photoshop for processing the photos, as well as Team Gantt for managing all the processes during the design development.

Well, these instruments are truly the most essential in making any design, as by the means of them we create various atmosphere for different goals, so, colours and materials are the tools that bring in the beauty, harmony and character to the space.

I believe the best result for the designer is when people don’t have any questions about the design, but understand you without any words and feel the atmosphere fully at the first glance.

Usually I tend to be so excited about any new great project that the first thing I wonder about is the question how all of these things came to the creator’s mind.

Actually, I believe that the best partner for me must be a person who catches up all the accompanying processes, such as financing, promotion and all of such things, as this would certainly allow me to immerse myself into the creative process of design fully.

I would say that the impact on the design directly depends on the impact on the worldview and passions, skills. If we are truly fascinated by something, it is reflected on the design and understanding of many things a lot. Therefore, my design is influenced by both clients and designers with whom I communicate, design objects that I meet during work or at exhibitions, and people who are not of their design, even nature affects the design and my worldview.

I can't say that any books especially influenced my design. Perhaps at the very beginning of my journey, when I was still an architecture student, Kelly Hoppen's design books revealed to me many things that were not taught at the institute.

Well,I try to follow the development of the industry by reading magazines, attending exhibitions and workshops, as well as communicating with colleagues and exchanging opinions. There is always room for development and something new. "You have to run to stand still" because everything is developing very rapidly.

I would be really glad to meet Le Corbusier. His incredible designs are truly mesmerizing.

Honestly,I do not treat this as a celebrity)) I am not a film star. Awards in our industry are more of a way to test yourself, to see if you are getting better or standing still. I am always for development and growth, and competitions help a lot in this.

I love white. It is an association with a blank slate on which something can be depicted.
My favorite time of the year is definitely spring) when it's not so hot, but it's already sunny, fresh leaves and flowers bloom and the mood becomes very uplifting, in anticipation of something new.
My favorite brand is probably Celine, but I liked everything that was produced under the designer Phoebe Philo. Now she doesn't work with the brand and new objects do not fall so accurately into my heart.

Coming to think of it, for one project in Minsk (Belarus), we needed an unusual lamp. We sent a request to the local salon where we used to buy lighting. After some time, I was traveling for work in Italy, so I was invited to a factory, which is engaged in the manufacture of bespoke lighting. I was curious if they could make such a lamp that we had already ordered in Minsk. And when I showed the drawings, the factory representative replied, "Yes, we have already made it, it's upstairs, we'll look at it now." It was amazing how small the world was. Minsk salon ordered this lamp in this factory! The lamp was made for us at this factory as a result, and we were able to see it and talk to those who made it.

The best days are when, after the presentation of the concept, clients say that they really like everything that we have come up with. This is a wonderful feeling, it means that it was not in vain that you invested so much effort, it means that you were able to feel all you need very subtly.

I was very fond of drawing and also loved mathematics and physics. One day, around the age of 10, I suggested rearranging all of the furniture in the room which I was sharing with my sister and I arranged everything in a very unusual way. I think if you add it all up, it becomes obvious that interior design has been in me since childhood.

I’m afraid I am not the best predictor of the future. I prefer not to look that far. Live for today and try to do everything in the best way now.

I LOVE MY WORK, NATURE AND ITALY :))) I think it's a short and very capacious answer.

My studio does design and implementation of interiors in Europe and the UK. We provide services from furnishing and decorating of the already finished interiors/spaces to the complete development and implementation of a full renovation (including drawings, 3D, virtual reality tours, site supervision, furnishing procurement & installation and decoration).

Team members are architects, designers and project managers. We pay close attention to all the details in our projects at every stage of work. It is important for us to make sure that the ideas are implemented in the best possible way and customers enjoy being in the spaces that we have developed for them.

Over the years of work in the interior design industry, we have implemented a number of successful projects that have received awards in the leading design contests, including the European Property Awards, SBID, design et al, Archiprofi, CENTRSVET Award and PinWin. I participated in the international construction and interior exhibition "BATIMAT Russia" as an exhibitor with the MOON NIGHT project. I also took part in the popular Russian TV shows where we created cozy and modern spaces out of ordinary apartments and separate rooms - all of it being a complete surprise for the owners.

For me, design is a way to change reality, bring comfort, harmony and aesthetics to it. This is what makes the world more beautiful, and helps people experience positive emotions.

I have two favorite stages in the design process. The first is the first acquaintance with clients, an attempt to understand them from the inside, to feel and create a concept that reflects their world. And the second favorite part is construction. I really enjoy being on the site, involved into the implementation process, knowing every detail, feeling the concept turning into reality.

I really love simple minimalistic spaces filled with textures and air, where simplicity is built on complex calculated proportions. It is very difficult to create such spaces. In this design, one mistake can cost the whole project. And I also really love lively natural forms in as art objects in such spaces. For example, a table made of brass and a rough piece of stone - if this stone was brought fresh from nature and a brass top was added to it.

It is difficult to say what I did first for the company, since the company is myself.
But the first thing I created as an interior designer was an apartment for my friends’ parents. I was still a university student. It was difficult and interesting and everyone was satisfied with the result in the end.

I really love smart storage solutions to keep everything organized and hidden. For example, a veneered wall with invisible doors leading to a large dressing room or a pantry so that no one would notice them at first glance. Therefore, I love the modulnova factory very much. They have very interesting hidden storage systems.

When I'm overwhelmed with emotions. And these emotions do not have to be positive. When there is an explosion inside, I want to throw it out, and a lot of ideas come to mind during these moments

Сomfort of use and harmony.

When I’m working on something, I am completely passionate about the process, I forget about all other things (for example, that I haven’t eaten all day) and I want to quickly transfer the ideas in my mind onto ‘paper’.

It is a very good question. This feeling cannot be compared to any other and it is very difficult to describe it. When a project that you had only in your mind becomes a reality it’s so touching and extremely exciting.

I approach each project very individually and try to convey the inner world of my clients. Each project is like a piece of art for me, it is special and must carry its own unique idea. I try to "tell a story" or "paint a portrait of a client" using interior design tools.

The first is the idea. What do I feel when I see this space? What did the author want to say?
The second - how harmonious everything is, how materials and colors are combined and finally - the proportions of all elements in the space.
The third criterion is comfort. It requires more time to catch it, while the first two can be seen right away.
And the fourth criterion is the ‘aftertaste’. How memorable is this project? Will I remember it in a few days or a week?

Designers and architects have an important mission. By creating spaces, they shape the environment and the way people think and perceive the things around them. It is important for architects and designers, like no one else, to understand the responsibility that lies on them and that everything they create should contribute to making this world a better place.

I think the design strives for simplicity, for reasonable consumption and the removal of everything that is redundant, unnecessary. Designers are increasingly aware of their responsibility for the planet, and in the choice of materials, the issue of durability, environmental damage and recycling of materials is gaining momentum more and more.

In the field of interior design, exhibitions of the designers themselves do not happen so often. But we were lucky enough to act as designers of our stand at the BATIMAR RUSSIA exhibition in 2020. It was an unforgettable and exciting experience. We will gladly take part again if we are invited.

You never know where your design inspiration might come from – it’s always unexpected! However, I’m usually inspired by enthusiastic clients who work with our studio. Nature and architecture are strong sources of inspiration too – the emotions I get from exploring new places are then, one way or another, reflected in new interiors. The work of recognized professionals is another way to get inspired for me as an architect: it’s not about replicating the details, but discovering new directions and approaches our studio might consider and take.

I’d say it’s figurative minimalism, as I tend to design comfortable, soft interiors. Of course, all the interiors we deliver are different – depending on the customer, it might be more of a Scandinavian style, loft, or even classic. However, picturesque minimalist details and patterns are still present in most of them. I strive to create simple spaces without over-saturating them with unnecessary elements. But for now, I'm just on my way to it.

Recently I have moved from Belarus to England. In the future, it will be clear whether the rich English culture will influence me. So far, I am completely influenced by Italian design. From the very first years of my work I have been visiting design exhibitions in Milan and this had a great influence on me and continues to be my source of inspiration.

We have experience working with developers. It was very interesting and challenging as there are many constraints such as time, budgets and specifications. But everything is doable. Therefore, we can say that we have successfully worked not only with private clients, but also with large companies.

In my opinion, it is very important to choose a designer based on his work. If the Company did not review the portfolio and did not talk about the design project approval stages, this can lead to disappointment in the result. Recommendations and experience of working with other companies are also important. The presence of experience suggests that the designer understands the difference between working with private clients and large companies.

The first stage is the study of needs, the collection of information and the preparation of terms of reference. Then we start developing the concept and provide clients with moodboards, collages and layout solutions for approval. The next step is a detailed study of the project in 3D. We prepare not only images, but also virtual reality tours, so that customers understand as best as possible what exactly we offer them. After the 3D is approved, we proceed to the drawings and study of the entire interior filling, find suppliers, and work with the project budget. When the drawings are ready, the stage of author's supervision begins. We constantly visiting at the construction site and control the implementation of the project in accordance with the drawings. When all the construction work is completed, it's time to furnish and decorate the interior. After that, our work on the project is completed.

My morning starts with answering the team's questions about current projects. Then I parse the mail. Zoom calls can then be assigned with suppliers, contractors or other professionals. After lunch, meetings can also be scheduled, or I can go to the salons to select items for projects. It's also design time, so if I'm at the interior concept stage during this period, I'll dive into the creative design process in the afternoon.

I would definitely recommend attending more exhibitions and traveling and communicating more both with colleagues and contractors (which implies learning new technologies), as well as just with ordinary people. Interiors are created for people and it is important to understand modern needs,the use of technology, but all this must be full of beauty, and for achieving this goal you need to improve your artistic level constantly.

As a positive, I would say that work in design sphear is means you always make something new, unusual, and you never know what will happen tomorrow. Of course there is a routine as well, but it is not comparable to other professions.
The downsides are stress. It can be attributed to the fact that this is a rather stressful activity. When it comes to construction, it is important to have good stress tolerance and the ability to find a solution in the most hopeless situations.

The main principles that are the basis for interior design for me are always a combination of three components:
- the uniqueness and individuality of the interior owners, their vision of the world, life principles and philosophy
- ergonomics of space, comfort of use and compliance with all the necessary functions
- harmony of proportions, materials, colors

For an interior designer, it is important to have a sense of proportion and space, composition and color, knowledge of the design and engineering features of buildings and interior elements, creativity, empathy, and of course stress resistance.

Designers, like other creative people, often find it difficult to work under tight deadlines, as the creative process is very unpredictable. But I like to organize everything, to put things in order, to create task lists, to use software to help me build project schedules (like Gantt). This is also helpful for my team to be able to track the progress and make adjustments to the timeline if needed. Multitasking is another skill necessary for a designer, since very often you have to connect different specialists together. .

It all depends on the object we are working on. For example, we implemented one of the showroom projects in 2.5 months - from concept to full implementation.
If we are talking about working on the interior for a big house, such a project could take up to 3 years.

The most difficult project was my first project. I was part of a group and we designed the interior design of the bus station. I remember how I was given the task of making the layout plans for the building, all the walls of which were not at right angles to each other, and there were no corners themselves at all, because the walls passed into each other with radiuses. Now a special device can easily cope with this task, but I did everything manually, it was very difficult. But I did it.

We work with developers (А-100 Development), commercial projects in the retail sector (LaTrika brand, SELFMADE brand) and private clients. Currently we are also working on the design of a furniture collection for an Italian furniture factory.

I am really interested in retail interior design and other public spheres. I must mention that I enjoy creating interiors that contain impressive elements, as the interior of a public space should be emotionally bright, unique and memorable, while the interior of residential spaces should be cozy, conducive to relaxation.

Since we opened an office in London, our plans for the future are to promote the company in the UK and European markets. This is not an easy task, but we believe in success.

I’m the founder of the studio and I have eight people with my team. All processes in the company are separated, so we have architects, designers, managers and procurement managers. This helps to run projects as efficiently as possible.

We always share everything that is allowed by our clients. At the moment we are working on a very interesting project, but we will be able to talk about it only after completion.

On our website www.lykasova.co.uk there is a form to fill out, or you can send an email to info@lykasova.co.uk. Or you can call us at +44 1438 94 0809.
We are also presented on instagram, facebook and linkedin, where we always answer all messages.