Ready for a new season of Home idea with IKEA? The very first episode takes us down the rabbit hole in a world of miniatures that fascinate with their life-like accuracy and precision. We meet a tight-knit family of three: Jana, Edgards and their young daughter Estere who is the first admirer of the minuscule worlds created by her parents. Will our designer Elīna find the right way to organise the family studio, so it does not feel cluttered and still gives the chance to display the best works?
A (miniature) bit of everything
This multi-coloured room is home to an artistic family studio where two artists and their daughter dedicate their creative energy to their unusual hobby of building miniatures. The interior of the room is more of an improvisation than a carefully arranged system and even thought there seems to be a lot of storage space on the first glance, it is quickly devoured by the many things to store. Additions to the space have been made rather impulsively, without giving much thought to the overall look. The first impression is quite restless as there are already a lot of colours on the walls and in the different pieces of furniture and this is emphasized by the multicoloured array of minute elements needed for work.
How easy is it to find inspiration?
Inspiration is something that cannot be ordered on a whim, it needs a source, a true sparkle. The sensation of being creatively inspired comes through many different things but often it is closely linked to human interaction and of impulses triggered by things that remind of inspirational moments of the past. As miniatures and puppets go hand in hand, both being life-like renderings of the real world, IKEA designer Elīna brings the family to catch inspiration by the puppet creator Krista who tells about her experience with objects in a scale.
Giving shape to ideas
After the visit in Kristas studio Elīna invites Jana and Edgars to a workshop in order to create a mood board for their dream interior. Mood boards act as an in-between stage which is very useful to coordinate ideas and to decide on best solutions as well as to align designer's view with client's wishes. In this case, the initially somewhat more colourful interior is toned down to a Scandinavian grey colour palette that is lightened up by adding natural materials and green plant accents.
Creating a functional working space
In a studio, it is essential to plan space for work. Elīna has taken into account that there are often two people working together so the desk is comfortably accessible from both sides. The special nature of the family's hobby requires special storage solutions. Here, the need to store many of the materials close at hand has prompted the creation of a whole wall of pegboards that can be customised with different accessories to store many different things. A practical solution is the step stool that can be used both for reaching higher shelves and as an extra seating.
Deciding what is best for your things
When planning an interior, storage tends to be neglected as we think about the more obvious elements as a desk or chairs. However, storage is crucial as it is where you decide on how much of your things you want to show or hide. As a monumental wall-to-wall combination like here, storage becomes a dominating element that can be modified at any time by changing the exposition in the open shelves.
Resting after a job well done
As seen in many interiors, zoning is crucial for the interior to keep up its dynamic and functionality. Studios with no place to take a moment and reflect or regain focus are no longer viable in today's world and creative spaces around the globe are seeing more and more "chill zones" set up. Elīna has used a very simple yet most effective solution of dividing the room by installing a shelf between the working area and the relaxation area. ELVARLI system is an excellent choice because of its airy appearance and frame that lets the light from the window reach the area behind the shelf. Comfortable armchairs invite to take a moment to find inspiration or just to relax.
"When there are a lot of things, no matter how big or small, a room can start to feel cramped pretty fast. My advice is to work with bigger elements that complement each other without feeling oppressive. Such bigger elements can be, for example, mini chests of drawers for the smallest of things. The cchest itself can be put into a shelf to make it look organized."