The fine art of interior design has been a staple in every luxury home, transforming spaces from classless to high class through the use of a delicate balance of texture and colour and having an expert eye always comes in handy. Luxury interior designers Inge Moore and Nathan Hutchins have perfected the fine balance between comfort and style and from this have been bringing spaces alive whilst still keeping that essential cosy feel.
We had a chat with the two master interior designers Inge and Nathan at Muza Lab to find out more.
What was the inspiration and motivation to start Muza Lab?
Nathan: To be smaller and more hands on, more focused on interior design and our clients, and just more involved from start to finish.
Inge: We wanted to create something really small and special, and to be involved in each project personally and not just manage large companies.
I looked through some of the interior design projects you’ve been a part of. Each one is distinct and different. How do you approach your different projects?
Inge: That’s the most fun and what design is all about! We do lots of research, looking into the history and the culture, and then blend those things together with the client’s profile and brief to create a bespoke design narrative and experience.
Nathan: That’s what keeps it fresh! Each project is totally unique with a new set of challenges and opportunities and that’s what we look for.
You emphasized the importance of collaboration. Why is that so important to Muza Lab’s mission?
Inge: No project is just about one person. Even if it’s a small project, it’s about the different people that help build it, the suppliers that are interesting, and finding the best of everybody to create a wonderful moment.
Nathan: We’re taking that to the extreme at the moment on a chalet in the Swiss Alps. It’s not just working with an amazing client, amazing architect and amazing builders – it’s also integrating artists into that collaboration. We work with artists to design specific wall finishes and installations and how each works with the interiors, so it’s a much more embedded approach and we have 25 different creative collaborators on just one chalet so it’s going to be quite extraordinary.
What is one thing you’ve learned from the 7 years of the founding of Muza Lab?
Inge: That you can still learn something new everyday.
Nathan: When to say no.
I love the mentality of telling stories through your work. How does storytelling translate to your interior design process?
Inge: Storytelling leads the whole process – it’s what you create! You find your story and then the design works around that. The materials, colours and textures are all woven back into the story.
Nathan: It makes things more interesting and more purposeful. Why is something textured? Why is something smooth? How does it all relate? Why was the material selected? What is its origin? Was it how it was manufactured? Or is it just because it’s warm and comfortable? Each of these different elements adds a layer to that, and adds a layer to the experience of living in a space.
How does space contribute to creating lasting memories?
Nathan: Space defines emotions, creates happiness, security, warmth and cosiness. We all have different spaces that we like enjoying at different times. Depending on our mood, the weather, the climate, who we’re with, that space is informing our emotions and feeding off of them.
Inge: Space is where you live and where you spend your life. It defines every moment.
What are some qualities that you believe all successful interior designers must have?
Inge: Patience, striving to think how can you do better, and not being complacent.
Nathan: Just an open mind and always be willing to learn. Every project is an opportunity to learn for your next project and enables you to know what to do differently and how you can respond to an element of a brief better next time. You’ve also got to be grounded and humble as nothing will ever be exactly as you thought it would be.
What are some tips to bring luxury into your own living space?
Inge: Use layering. It’s that build up of textures, colours and materials that bring luxury and it doesn’t matter if it’s minimal, it still needs thin layers or more minimal materials.
Nathan: More so than a specific style or look in a way. Close your eyes and do you still feel good? That’s luxury!
What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on and why?
We can’t pick. They all have elements that we love about them.
What are the future trends of interior design in the UK?
Inge: We’re not into trends, but rather into everyone having their own taste. However, I think being more sustainable and environmentally friendly is certainly an important factor so considering things like is the design good for the environment and is it inclusive?
Nathan: I do think people need to decomplicate and declutter their lives. There is an appreciation for less junk and more things of substance.
What’s next for Muza Lab?
Inge: Having learnt from Covid that there is no substitute for experience and being in a place and looking at real things, we are so excited to be working on more wonderful projects and new product ranges.
Nathan: We are opening lots of wonderful projects all over the world in the next year and are learning a lot of lessons from these openings. We have hospitality projects in Palm Beach, private homes in St. Barths and St. Moritz, the chalet in the Swiss Alps. We are also working on a project in a remote desert location with Dark Sky Initiative with completely different types of flora and fauna than we’re used to.
To discover more, visit: muzalab.com
All imagery courtesy of Muza Lab.
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