Liadesign is an Italy-based interior design firm that focuses on everything from decor and space planning to kitchen and bathroom renovations. Founder Lia Lovisolo shares her design style, where she finds inspiration, her favorite project, and more.
What is your design style? My style is linear and clean, not necessarily minimal, but based on simple elements, geometric graphics and pure colors. I always try to play with the unexpected and create a connection between aesthetic and practical purposes.
How did you get started in your career? I started my career when I was renovating my own house. I had a degree in architecture, but was working in another profession. While taking care of my home, from the construction phase to the more detailed interior design phase, a love for the work and the determination to carry it forward was born.
Where is the most unexpected place you’ve found design inspiration? I find a lot of inspiration while observing urban landscapes and nature in general, but the most unexpected inspirations derive from the study of small details that are noticed only by observing things closely. Photography often helps me to capture these details.
What trend are you most excited about right now? The trend that most excites me now is the use of color and geometric shapes in interior decoration. I am fascinated by the unusual color combinations and uncommon patterns, the composition of shapes and colors, the mixture of curved lines and broken lines, and the ability to create harmony through decoration without necessarily having to do demolition and reconstruction.
What was a challenge you encountered during a project and how did you solve it? The most compelling challenges often concern small houses and the solution of problems, practical or aesthetic, related to small rooms or disadvantageous proportions. One of the most beautiful challenges I recently faced was the creation of a kitchen with a peninsula in a really small and especially narrow room. The clients did not want to eat on a table leaning against the wall. So, I invented an hexagonal sliding peninsula, which had both a worktop and a dining table function (photo here).
What is one of your designer secrets/tricks? In my opinion the most important secret or trick for a designer is the ability to listen and know how to wait. Knowing how to listen helps with understanding the client’s needs and their psychology. Understanding the customer is essential for carrying out the work in an optimal manner, and saves time and resources. Patience is also important because often the best decisions are those made with no hurry.
What’s one of your favorite all-time projects? What made it stand out? One of my favorite projects of all time is a Milan apartment where I used a lot of colors to define spaces and create harmony (photo here). What makes it outstanding, above my other projects, is the color range, the relationship between cold and warm shades, and the dialogue between colors and rooms.
If you were a house, what kind of home would you be? If I were a house, I would certainly be a period villa, full of design and art pieces from the great masters of the 20th Century – something like Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan or Villa Borsani in Varedo.
What’s your favorite building or space in the world? I have many: ancient, modern and contemporary architecture. I am particularly fond of the work of Le Corbusier, Villa Savoye.
What’s your favorite room in your home? The room I love the most in my house is the living room, with a large bright bow window overlooking the garden (photo here).
What’s your favorite part of Houzz? What I enjoy most about Houzz is that it’s international and cosmopolitan, a place where different attitudes and design cultures meet and mutually enrich each other. It draws on projects from around the world and helps both designers and homeowners to broaden their views.
When you’re not designing, where can you be found? When I’m not designing, you can find me in my garden, taking care of my plants and flowers and, above all, taking photos of them!