REAL LIFE Caribbean – PIETRO – DESIGNER AT DESIGN STUDIO

RL: Tell us about your creative process. What are the biggest challenges and rewards?
PA: In my opinion, the best part of designing is getting to understand your client’s needs, aesthetics, and lifestyle. That is what gives each project a ‘soul’ and sets it apart. You can’t create a customised, unique design without that insight.

RL: Do you ever get to put your personal touch into the creative process and the projects themselves?
PA: I always try to create a narrative that drives the project, but the whole process of designing and curating pieces for a project is a journey – and it requires input from all parties involved.

RL: What would be the first question you ask a client?
PA: What do you want to feel when you walk through the door?

RL: How do you define your relationship with your clients?
PA: I try to make them enjoy the process as much as I do. I like my clients to be involved in the process as each decision drives the project in a different direction and that is always very exciting.

RL: What is the secret to pleasing different client profiles?
PA: At the end of the day, we all do the same things when we’re at home. It is a matter of understanding the priorities and routines that each family or household has, whether it’s a couple with two dogs or a family of seven.

RL: What cannot be missing in a space?
PA: Simply, a great piece of art.

RL: Do you think that the pandemic has given people a new perspective on their home?
PA: Absolutely! We were all forced to embrace our spaces during lockdown and in many ways, I feel that has been a positive: it has helped a lot of people to understand what they were missing in their homes, and so they have started adapting to make their homes work better for them – for example, you just have to think of how many of us did not have a desk at home before the pandemic.

RL: Do you think that decoration can influence people’s mood?
PA: It definitely does. Decoration matters, but it’s very often overlooked! A beautiful space that transmits the wrong feelings is as good as nothing. I believe spaces should tell a story and spawn a feeling. A home should be a warm and welcoming environment for whoever resides in it.

RL: What is your favourite Design Studio project?
PA: I love what David and Michelle accomplished at Kempa Kai: every little detail was thoroughly thought through.