MUNICH: Lately you have probably been spending some time on your canapé and thought about what the new year will bring to you.
Why don’t you start with some changes around your place and that might bring up the question: Do I really feel cosy at home? Is the wall colour still my favourite colour? What does the art on my walls say about me? Curtains or no curtains? Which object could bring a drastic change into my house? Do all my furniture pieces work together? I could go on and on…
Probably minor changes could already make a difference, which is why we talked to interior designer Yasemin Loher, who lived almost everywhere in the world from London, Rotterdam, Tel Aviv and Athens to Amsterdam, where she collected all her visual inspiration to establish her own interior business with a Munich base.
Her clients come from everywhere, being locals, expats or just the international clientele who admire the same style of comfort and glamour. Visit her showroom (www.yaseminloher.com) and follow her on Instagram on @yaseminloherinteriors.
IRMA: How would you describe yourself?
YASEMIN LOHER: I call myself more an interior decorator than an interior designer due to the fact that I love to decorate. A bit like scenery to a play, an interior evolves through one’s life journey and growth with personal developments within passion, styles, times and emotions.
I like to create a mood, an atmosphere, rather than a room filled with designer furniture and valuable art.
IRMA: What is more important, design or functionality?
Y.L.: Transforming everyday life utensils or needs, I like to choose my furniture more for its design than its functionality. So turning a necessary furniture piece into an object of desire within a space.
IRMA: Are you a collector?
Y.L.: An interior should be collected over time. I love to collect, whatever it may be that catches my eye for beauty and detail.
A beautiful ceramic vase / lamp, malachite objects, bowls in fruit shapes, graphic artworks mostly from the late 70s. I collect not according to value, more so according to the items’ beauty.
I don’t really have a collection pattern, I am not one of those who has one type of object and collects that and showcases it in a cabinet. I like to create still lifes in all corners of the rooms. More of one object usually works better than having just one vase on display by itself.
IRMA: Which period of time is your favourite?
Y.L.: I love the 40s-80s although my biggest passion is the 70s. Due to the fact that I was born and raised in the 70s in hotels around the world, I think that this sparked my interior taste and formed me into the avantgarde direction.
The 70s stood for glamour, style, entertaining, being at home with friends and family. In the 70s all was allowed, meaning all design styles combined within one room. That is what I like and try to set forth when I plan / design a room / space. Everything can work into a space if you use your imagination.
YASEMIN´S 8 MUST HAVE PIECES
1 – A bar trolley – well set up for having cocktails at home, meaning spirit bottles, beautiful glasses, maybe even straws, bar utensils for mixing drinks, napkins for handing out canapés, etc., etc., etc.
2 – A collection of malachite objects, not only used in the Egyptian / Greek mythology to protect against evil spirits but as a form of decoration like the Russians used to do, one can look for hours into the hidden circles patterns of a malachite stone.
3 – Monogrammed candles – makes any interior personal and touches the senses.
4 – Ceramic lamp with a colourful shade- not only for dark days but for cosy ness, for a colour drop within an interior. Combining fun patterns and shapes can be enlightening.
5 – A screen – to keep a draft, to hide radiators, as a room divider, or simply just to show one’s favourite fabric. Made in all sizes, shapes, styles combining fabrics with piping and trimming making this a piece of art.
6 – Brass objects / sculptures – one doesn’t really need it but it works as an eye catcher in any room. It is almost like a pet. Sometimes one needs to have something that is out of place or unusual. Pair of flamingos or a deer made of brass, this must be out of proportion, so way too big, more unexpected, creating humour in a space.
7 – Ottoman / pouf – is essential as it’s not only a drop of colour but also very practical, can be used as a table / stool, looks soft and cosy. It can also be helpful in an acoustic way.
8 – Mirrors – they enlarge space, especially the smoky mirrors bring glamour to a room and depth. I like to use the vintage antique mirrors that have a playful surface, nearly looking rusty and old, imagining a spider web on it in the old days.
