Interview with Therese Virserius

I am motivated by the potential of the concept of what a space can be, how the guest or patron will feel when they are in the space, the mood and perception – the life of the space itself.

I didn’t always want to to be a designer I was an undergrad in law and then went for a Bachelors of Art in Mandarin with strong focus on Asia, particularly China and its culture and business.

If you can travel, definitely do so, as it broadens your mind. Understand other cultures. Move out of the world of computers so that you physically start to understand proportions and scale, this is important!

When I am very happy both over the design and the outcome and the fantastic benefit it gives the properties we work on and that we can actually show it in terms of actual revenue increase, which, obviously, makes for very happy clients and is very satisfying for us.

Great team work, honest conversations and fabulous outcome.

It's tough to say, as I've had some really great design experiences. In general, I enjoy hotel design work, especially when designing everything from a guest room/suite to the restaurant, the bar and the lounges as well as the meeting spaces. This means that you have to think about different experiences and expectations for all these very different spaces. That is fun and challenging all at the same time.

An actress, I think that would be so much fun. Or a singer, since I love to sing.

Something that tells a story, it can be your own or something that triggers an emotion within you.

A great team!

We recently completed projects at these places:
Hotel Bloom – Brussels, Belgium
Marriot Charles De Gaulle - Paris
Renaissance La Défense - Paris
Double Tree Tower Bridge - London
Double Tree Westminster - London
Hilton Durban - Durban, South Africa
We also have the new locations for Big Easy Winebar & Grill, a project we did that opened earlier this year in Durban, South Africa, but is now rolling out in Malaysia and in Miami, USA.

Design definitely informs a better society. I think we have an obligation to educate and make suggestions to clients that are both socially and environmentally responsible, in hope that they will support those suggestions when making a final decision.

We are working on a very cool project in Berlin, great owners and project management team that has a very open mind to how design should be approached, how they want to brand it and an overall great story.

That’s actually hard to say. I love to design different things all the time, and continuing to evolve. It is more interesting that way. I don’t fall into a niche, to be famous for just one type of design. It’s also more mentally stimulating to create new “pieces” all the time. I compare it to an artist who most likely would not paint the same piece over and over again.

I think we are seeing a more sophisticated and design aware end user so we designers have to pay attention to that, as well as how we use technology. Being user friendly is key.

For a hotel, a full hotel including all guest room and public spaces including restaurant, etc is usually a 12 to 24-month process from initial design concepts to a fully completed project.

We always start with a kick off meeting with ownership and brand-if we are working with a brand. Then we brainstorm internally each designer goes off on their own and a few days later we all meet again at the table to see what the research of the project brought back to the table in regards to inspiration. This time is spent on researching the property, the history of the area current situations as what is the area, is it a city block or a country side what is the property currently doing, what does the property aspire to do what is its strength/weakness . From this we go into the concept. So for us it’s important to have a narrative a story that the property can brand in different ways that also created a meaning for the guest and that will seep through all the design elements in a very interesting way. Sometime you can notice it sometimes it’s just here in the feeling of a space.

Listen and know what your capacity is, ask for help if you need. Designing is a team effort not single women’s/man’s work.

I don't believe in trends, personally. Design is not like fashion “that has four or six seasons”. Design needs to be aesthetically viable for a much longer time since brands and/or owners don’t redesign for every season.

Technology is crucial, especially now.

CAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, 3D MAX, REVIT, Powerpoint sometimes Final Cut depending on the presentation we do.

I wish for them to ask questions about the stories that went into the design.

Is it a smartly organized and planned space? Does it have moments of surprise? Does the space invigorate?

It's flattering and humbling to be recognized by juries of my peers and other respectable people in the design field. I am extremely grateful.

I love Italy, it is one of my absolute favorite places!

When you have a great team working towards the same goal and when you see that the effort and contribution everyone makes creates a very passionate project which in turns resonates directly with guests.

I started Virserius Studio in 2003 at that time it was called Therese Virserius design we rebranded 4 years ago when we also opened the office in Paris for our EMEA clients. We are a cross cultural studio; having designers from all over the world brings a richness and layered approach to design. Another factor is a that we are not only designers and architects but also have fine artists, psychology and sociology majors, branding architects and anthropologists, all of whom make the designs so much more layered and multidimensional.

Something that tells a story, it can be your own or something that triggers an emotion within you.

When you have a great team working towards the same goal and when you see that the effort and contribution everyone makes creates a very passionate project which in turns resonates directly with guests.

That’s actually hard to say. I love to design different things all the time. It is more interesting and you don’t fall into a niche of what you are famous for. It’s also more mentally stimulating to create new “pieces” all the time. I compare it to an artist who most likely would not paint the same piece over and over again.

The first thing I designed with my own company was a Westin in the US. It was a very large scale hotel so I learned quickly how to navigate and focus on what was important.

I am a wood and stone kind of girl. For platforms and technology we use the different kinds, but I can’t specify a favorite.

When I am out on the country side where it is quiet or when I get an opportunity to see dance performances or galley/museum visits.

I am very focused on the concept of what this space can be, how the guest or patrons will feel when they are in the space, the mood and perception – the life of the space itself.

Joy and excitement!

That is a very good question, most of the time I am very happy both over the design and the outcome and the fantastic benefit it gives the properties and that we can actually show it in terms of actual revenue increase, which, obviously, makes for very happy clients and is very satisfying for us. Le Campus in Paris and Marriot Charles de Gaulle was two very successful sample of great team work, honest conversations and fabulous outcome.

I think I touched on that briefly above. I think it takes a great team that listens to each other, solves problems together as a team and understand how to priorities and then makes things happen.

Quality is an important factor but also the longevity of the aesthetics since we know that interior design is not like fashion “that has four or six seasons”. It’s a product that will aesthetically be able to live for a much longer time since ownerships don’t redesign for every season. So that’s important to me. Functionality is incredibly important as well. It really does not matter how beautiful something is if it’s useless…and the operator/hotel and it staff cannot use it for their daily operational needs.

I think we have an obligation to educate and make suggestions to owners that are both socially and environmentally responsible. The main decision will rest with ownership though.

I think we are seeing a more design aware end user so we have to pay attention to that as well as how we use technology. Being user friendly is key.

We hope to participate in the Venice Biennale 2020, which was postponed due to the Coronavirus.

My inspiration comes from my travels around the globe, meeting different cultures, understanding history in the context of design and events that impact where you work. And, of course, meeting people from different cultures and exposing yourself to take in new expressions with an open mind.

Our style is very layered, exploratory, very sophisticated with an understated elegance that is also playful with a sense of humor. I totally understand our design if you are aware of the culture its representing.

I live in New York City; I still call it home but I spend a lot of time in Paris since we have our 2nd office there. Before NYC and Paris I lived in Shanghai for several years and prior to that in Holland, Germany and, of course, Sweden where I am originally from. I believe that all the countries I lived in have an impact on how we design and how we view design. The great thing about having two offices, one in Europe and one in USA, means that the design gets approved or vetoed in both countries before its implemented, meaning it has a very international approach.

It all depends. Sometimes we are the concept creators like when we work in Asia and Africa and then they implement it locally. In Europe and USA we are doing everything “soup to nuts”

They need to trust that the designer will created something that will not only be aesthetically very pleasing but also have a great impact on their bottom line. I also think owners need to step out of their comfort zone (they are owners not designers) and let the designers do what they have been hired to do to create a new exceptional experience.

We always start with a kick off meeting with ownership and brand-if we are working with a brand. Then we brainstorm internally each designer goes off on their own and a few days later we all meet again at the table to see what the research of the project brought back to the table in regards to inspiration. This time is spent on researching the property, the history of the area current situations as what is the area, is it a city block or a country side what is the property currently doing, what does the property aspire to do what is its strength/weakness . From this we go into the concept. So for us it’s important to have a narrative a story that the property can brand in different ways that also created a meaning for the guest and that will seep through all the design elements in a very interesting way. Sometime you can notice it sometimes it’s just here in the feeling of a space.

I love my art. I have items that I bought on my travels that tell a story, my carpet from Istanbul that I had to drag through Africa on a trip before finally get back to NYC. I have my antique Chinese butterfly cabinet that I bought when I lived in Shanghai that means a lot to me. I absolute love the perfect sheet in my bed and my Swedish invention of a garlic peeler its brilliant you just put a piece of garlic in to the sleeve roll it and the peel falls of.

They are all quite different depending on where I am…but NYC is my home base so let’s talk about that. My morning coffee is key. I get to the office around 9.00am either by bike or walking, they I live nearby. I look through my emails, focusing on the European emails first since they are 6 hours ahead of me. Then I talk to my Creative Director in Paris to check in. By then my designers are coming in so we go over the projects see where everyone is. Who needs help because there is always a fast approaching dead line. Meet up with clients or have conference calls with clients depending on where they are in the world. Have one-on-one meetings with my designers, to check in where they are. Then there is all the non-creative part of actually running a business which is quite time consuming.

If you can travel, definitely do so, as it broadens your mind. Understand other cultures. Move out of the world of computers so that you physically start to understand proportions and scale, this is important!

The positive is that you can create from a blank canvas the negative is that there is never enough time!

Listen and know what your capacity is, ask for help if you need design is a team effort not single women’s/man’s work.

Well listening is one, and being detail oriented for sure-many of us in this business are by default perfectionists. Also know when to say no or I would say pick your battles.

CAD, photoshop, illustrator, 3D MAX, REVIT, powerpoint sometimes final cut depending on the presentation we do.

Be organized and prioritize!

Let’s say a hotel a full hotel including all guest room and public spaces including restaurant etc is usually a 12 to 24-month process from initial design concepts to a fully completed project

How fast can we have this!

I think I learned how to be very diplomatic over the years

Blackstone, Pandox, Gem Realty Partners, Meininger, Individual hotel owners, Ernie Els, Marriott, Renaissance, Hyatt to mention a few.

I enjoy hotel design work because you design everything from a guest room /suite to the restaurant, the bar and the lounges as well as the meeting spaces. This means that you have to think about different experiences and expectations for all these very different spaces. That is fun and challenging all at the same time.

We are still busy working on hotels both in Europe and North America, we have projects in Africa and we will continue to add to our new portfolio of retail and spa clients as well.

We work as a team.

We are working on a very cool project in Scottsdale, Arizona and one in South Florida, both will hopefully be completed in 2021. Both have great owners and project management teams that have a very open mind to how design should be approached, how they want to brand it and an overall great great story.

They can email us at hello@virseriusstudio.com or bonjour@virseriusstudio.com to be added to our newsletter mailing list. Also you can follow and engage with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.